October 1st1. Frankenstein (1910): Wildcard #12. MOH: The V Word: I found the first season of MOH to be mediocre with a few bright spots so I avoided the second season. I'm going to give them a shot for this challenge, but this is not a good start. Nice direction and the brilliant Michael Ironside wasted by a terrible script. The dialogue in this is awful. "No thanks. I don't drink....wine." C-3. MOH: Family: Now this is much better. Creepy old suburbia. John Landis does black humor really well and George Wendt is perfect. B4. MOH: Fair Haired Child: I mistakenly thought this was a season 2 episode and then got 15 minutes in and remembered I had already seen it. Not one I would have planned to revisit. The titular child looks like a rejected idea from a Tool video. Calling William Malone a master of horror is laughable. C-5. My Name is Bruce: A fun film for anyone who like Bruce Campbell. And really why would you be watching it if you don't? It's nice to see someone poke fun at themselves and celebrity. B6. Chopping Mall: Thank you Chad! Killer robots, after hours mall party, synth soundtrack. What more do you need? Awesome 80's movie that manages to have relatively likable characters. Apparently you could buy assault rifles in 1980's malls. B+7. Pieces: Absurd (in a good way) 80's Grindhouse slasher that's better than average. The waterbed scene is disturbingly pretty. C+8. Dracula (1931): Embarrassingly, I had never seen this. The Dracula narrative stripped down to the bare essentials. Beautiful, atmospheric lighting and Legosi gives an iconic performance. Also has the second best Renfield after Tom Waits. A

October 2nd9. Execution of Mary Stuart/Le Chaudron Infernal Wildcard #2 10. MOH: Sounds Like: Man with supersonic hearing's son dies. Man slowly loses it. Brad Anderson does the slow build horror really well. This is one of the better MOH episodes with a pretty good story. The only thing that hurts it is the completely unlikeable lead. B-11. MOH: Dream Cruise: Terrible. Wooden acting and a cookie-cutter plot. Oh look another wet Japanese ghost with long black hair. D12. House on Haunted Hill (1959) : Campy and fun throughout. It's easy to see why this is a classic staple. Vincent Price is on as always, but it also co-stars the great Elisha Cook, Jr. B+13. White Zombie: Bela Lugosi and his wicked unibrow star in what might be the first zombie movie. This is the voodoo zombie variety not the living dead variety so no brain eating. The locale sets a creepy tone and the cinematography is excellent. B14. Son of Dracula: I love Robert Siodmak's noir films and his use of shadow and light was the best part of this. Lon Cheney Jr. was the worst Dracula I've ever watched. The idea of transplanting it to the South could have been cool but it wasn't done effectively. C15. Black Christmas (2006): What a turd of a film. No character development, a retarded storyline, and a "look at me I'm directing!" shooting style. This might be the worst remake I've ever seen. F16. Dust Devil: An interesting but overly ambitious film that doesn't quite pull it off. C17. Battle Royale: Great premise. Nicely paced with interesting characters. Even though we only glimpse some of them for a small amount of time they each of come off as individuals. B+

October 3rd18. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight: One of my favorites when I was younger still holds up well. A great cast and the perfect mix of horror/comedy/gore. Billy Zane hams it up in a great performance. B19. Driftwood: I had high hopes for this one, but it just didn't work for me. Diamond Dallas Page's awful accent kept taking me out of the movie and all the kids other than lead were clichéd and boring. C20. Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer: Jack is an angry plumber who needs to find a way to channel his rage. He finds the way in kicking some monster ass. A really fun movie with good characters, old school effects, and Robert Englund. B+21. The Broken: Really good movie with a really bad ending. They tried too hard to Shyamalan the audience and wasted everything great that happened before. C-22. Dexter - "Living the Dream": Wildcard #3 Nice to see Adrienne Barbeau pop up in this one.

October 4thFull Moon Mania!23. The Midnight Hour: A group of friends unknowingly raise the dead (zombies, werewolves, vampires) on Halloween. Is there any other time this happens? This one is way more enjoyable than it should be. Most of the cast is recognizable and it doesn't take itself too seriously. The soundtrack is the best I've ever heard in a horror film. B24. The Wolfman: This is the last of the original Universal monster movies I hadn't seen. Lon Cheney Jr. makes a much better Wolfman than he did a Dracula. Everything you expect from these, moody with atmospheric lighting. B25. Wolfen: A different take on the werewolf genre with a story focused on Native Americans and wolf spirits. It's a bit too skewed toward the police drama but interesting nonetheless. The wolf perspective shots are a nice touch. B-26. An American Werewolf in London: In my top 5 for werewolf films. Always a good time. A great mix of horror and humor with the best tranformation scene ever put on film. "A naked American man stole my baloons." A27. Company of Wolves: This one just didn't do it for me. It has a unique concept of stories within a dream within the film that just tries too hard and doesn't deliver. D28. She-Wolf of London: A real clunker. More of a Scotland Yard murder mystery than a werewolf movie. D

October 5th29. MOH: Imprint: This is one messed up movie. I'm not a big fan of the torture genre so part of this was a real turn-off for me. Despite that it's still one of the best MOH episodes. B-30. Popcorn: The 90's weren't particularly kind to the horror genre but this is a pretty good effort. It has an interesting villain and the old theatre setting is great. I'm a sucker for movies about movies/movie makers. I would totally watch the fake B-movie they show called Mosquito!. B-31. Spider Baby: What a wholly original film. I loved every minute of this one. The entire cast turned in top performances. I'm pretty sure Rob Zombie is a fan of this. A32. The Hitcher: One of the all time greats. Rutger Hauer plays one of the best psychos ever. A33. Wilderness: A pretty awesome survival horror film. A group of youth detention inmates get sent to an island for some survival training and realize they are being hunted by someone. Brutal kills and general chaos ensues. B

October 6th34. MOH: Pelts: This might be my new favorite episode of MOH. I didn't care for Argento's 1st season entry Jennifer but this one really clicked. A good blend of strange humor and horror. Gotta love Meat Loaf as a greasy fur trader. B+35. Snuff: A documentary about the history of snuff films and whether they actually exist. Pretty interesting stuff. It's fucked up to think that there might be films out there like this and that people actually want to watch them. B36. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy: I needed some lighthearted fare after that Snuff documentary. This is the first Abbott and Costello I've seen and it was about what I expected. Goofy but enjoyable. C+37. House of Wax (1953): A 3-D movie made by a director with only one eye, only in Hollywood. This one is lacking in suspense and fright but Vincent Price makes up for it. The make up is also pretty amazing for the time period. A young Charles Bronson plays Igor. B-38. Roseanne - "Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down": Wildcard #4 The Roseanne Halloween episodes are right up there with the Treehouse of Horror for best series Halloween episodes. This one even has Clooney! A39. Repo! The Genetic Opera: I pretty much hated this, but it certainly was something. The sing/talking and the lyrics are awful and nobody can really carry a tune. I can see it being a love it or hate it film. A waste of Bill Moseley. D

October 7th40. MOH: Pro-Life: A bit heavy handed but decent enough MOH episode. Not nearly as good as Carpenter's episode from last season but Ron Pearlman is always fun to watch. One annoyance: You're telling me not a single person at the clinic has a cell phone that they can call the cops with? C+41. Vampyr: I love La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc and the hauntingly beautiful visuals from that carry over here as well. There is a dreamlike sadness and eerie quality throughout and the score is incredible. A42. The Blob (1988): The original Blob is one of my favorite horror movies so I have been avoiding the remake all these years. My loss. It doesn't have much in common with the original so it's easy to just view it as it's own thing. The special effects are great. This blob is bigger and faster but Kevin Dillon's glorious mullet steals the show. B+43. Tourist Trap: What an odd movie. It's a hybrid of House of Wax and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a dash of Carrie. A group of kids end up at an old roadside attraction of creepy mannequins and you can guess what happens next. The film seemed unsure of what tone it wanted to take. The violence is very tame and it was occasionally too goofy to take seriously. C

October 8th44. The Toxic Avenger: I usually like cheesy crap but I didn't get much out of this. The guy that plays Bozo annoyed the shit out of me. There were a few laughs and some good kills so it wasn't a total bust. D+45. The Lodger (1927): IMDB lists this as horror so I'm counting it, but it was more a mystery. Hitchcock's silent film take on the Jack the Ripper story. In typical Hitchcock fashion the policeman is a wanker. There are some really inventive visual tricks and editing. A great film. A46. Dead Meat: Two words-- Zombie Cows. C+47. Trick 'R Treat: Didn't quite live up to the crazy hype it has but still a hell of a movie. It's nice that people are making original films not just Saw XIV. The interwoven stories work well together and the burlap sack mask is just creepy. A-

October 9th48. MOH: We All Scream for Ice Cream: Garbage. No more MOH for me, they are too much of a chore to get through. These have to be the worst child actors on earth and the adults are just as bad. F49. Night of the Living Dead (1990): You can't top the original but as remakes go this is pretty great. Turning Barbara into a commando was a nice touch. The original ends better. B50. The Strangers: Holy shit this film caught me off guard. It's very creepy and extremely dark. I didn't read very many positive things about it so my expectation were low. The biggest complaint I kept reading was the lack of motivation but to me that helps the movie out. People get attacked for no reason everyday and that's much scarier to think about than some revenge plot. A

October 10th51. Paranormal Activity: This is a very effective little film. It's well paced and there are some genuinely frightening moments. I thought my girlfriend was going to have a heart attack. One of the best low budget efforts I've seen. A-52. Zombieland: So much fun. Most of the humor works and the kills are great. Woody is awesome. The theme park is a great setting. A53. Dead of Night: Probably the worst horror anthology I've ever seen. An antique car goes back in time. This is horror? The last segment about a kid coming back from the dead is decent, but nothing much. D-

October 11th54. Alien Raiders: This is a great low budget indie film. It combines the paranoia of The Thing with a hostage drama and a sense of claustrophobia lingers the whole time. It's a shame something like this didn't get a widespread release. B+55. Creature from the Black Lagoon: Not quite as good as the other monster movies, but I like the creature better than The Wolfman. B

October 12th56. BloodRayne: Utterly worthless in every way. F-57. Fear Itself: The Circle: Pretty good stuff for an NBC tv movie. B-58. Flesh for Frankenstein: "To know death you have to fuck life in the gall gladder." C59. The Tripper: David Arquette makes fun of hippies and republicans and does a poor job at both. D60. Aliens: After all the crap I watched today it was nice to throw on something I knew was great. It ups the number of aliens and action but doesn't lose quality. A61. The Curse of Frankenstein: This one drug a bit. I prefer The Revenge of Frankenstein but Peter Cushing is great in both. C+

October 13th62. Shrooms: Kids go into a creepy Irish forest to trip on mushrooms, bad shit goes down. This was better than expected with some nice spooky locations. C+63. The Phantom of the Opera: A deformed man just wants to be loved. Society kills him for being different. A-

October 14th64. Deadgirl: A disturbing, intelligent and completely original film. Finding stuff like this is a big reason I love this challenge. B+65. Laid to Rest: Great gore effects but not much else. Bad pacing and the killer, Chrome Skull, didn't do it for me. Although I did like his vanity plates. C-66. Tombs of the Blind Dead: God this one was boring. It had a good storyline, Medieval Knight Templar return from the dead, but they didn't do enough with it. D

October 15th65. The Innocents: A very well made ghost story. The use of light and sound in this film is great. It conveys a dread without having to show much. As usual in these movies the children are creepy as hell. B+66. Swap Thing: Adrienne Barbeau and Ray Wise are the only reason to watch this. That and the awesome non-cg creature effects. Ahh the 80's. C67. Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural: A visually lovely film about the loss of innocence/childhood seen as a nightmare like world. The acting is a bit sketchy and the plot is thin but somehow it still works. B68. The Uninvited: This was better than expected. I had no desire to watch it until I read the praise on here. Man, Elizabeth Banks is so good at playing a bitch. B-

October 16th69. P2: This movie is weak sauce. The villain hams it up so bad he ceases to be threatening in any way. D70. Coraline: I was expecting this one to look just like a Nightmare Before Christmas, and when it didn't I was little thrown off. Once I got over that though, it was a great experience. The visuals are quite stunning and inventive and the storyline is great. I wish could experience it as a child. A-

October 17th71. Isle of the Dead: I prefer the Tourneur/Lewton collaborations but you can't go wrong with any of his films. They are all well made and moody. Karloff gives his typical great performance. B72. Book of Blood: If you like heavy handed exposition this film is for you. It insults the viewers intelligence. D

October 18th73. Bedlam: My least favorite of the Lewton collection. It's hard to sympathize with the "good" people when they're so smug and annoying. B-73. Brain Damage: Oh man this is some messed up fun. A guy finds a brain slug thing that gets him high in exchange for getting to eat brains. The creature design is hilariously awesome. "When it comes to blood in my pants, I wanna know where it came from." B

October 19thIt's got a death curse!74. Friday the 13th: A classic. It's not revolutionary but it does everything well. A75. Friday the 13th II: Ahh the good old days, when a kick to the groin actually hurt Jason. I find the baghead to be the scariest incarnation, but the pitchfork isn't nearly as badass as the machete. B+76. Friday the 13th III: The tried and true formula of part 2 now in 3D! That Leslie kid needed his ass kicked. Jason killing a pregnant woman is messed up. B+77. Friday the 13th IV: The Final Chapter: My favorite of the sequels. 3 words -- Crispin Glover dance. A78. Friday the 13th V: A New Beginning I used to hate the lack of Jason. I still think it is a downside but an effective entry overall. B79. Friday the 13th VI: Jason Lives: Jason moves into the undead/unkillable territory. A likable cast, good score, and a moody set. Tommy Jarvis vs. Jason on the lake is one of the better endings. B80. Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood: My second favorite of the series. I really like the way they handle the telekinetic heroine. Also has my favorite kill of the series (sleeping bag). B+81. Jason X: I respect them for trying something new, but the execution was terrible. I don't hate this one, I find it to be a fun if overly stupid entry into the series. I do however hate Uber Jason. Terrible decision. D+

October 20th82. The Night Stalker: Darren McGavin/Kolchak is awesome. Oozes 70's in the best possible way. B+83. The Hunger: David Bowie as a vampire, yes please. A highly stylized and interesting take on the vampire genre. Catherine Denevue isn't too hard on the eyes either.B84. Treehouse of Horror XX: Wildcard #5 The first 2 stories were great, the last one sucked.84. Prom Night (2008): Damn you checklist, making me watch PG-13 crap. F85. Martin: Romero's take on vampires. This is a unique film. I like the black and white footage mix when Martin is attacking. B+

October 21st86. Night of the Living Dead (1968): Not much to say that hasn't been said. A classic for good reason. A87. Revenge of the Creature MST3K: Bad movie with bad jokes. C-88. Fear Itself: Spooked: So far Fear Itself seems to be better than MOH. A decent haunted house story. C+89. Fear Itself: Eater: Peggy Olson battles a cannibal serial killer. C+90. Grace: A dark film without any likable characters. It's worth a view but could have better. C

October 22nd91. The Burrowers: Pretty cool western horror. The CG creatures look like crap. B92. Hatchet for the Honeymoon: Slow, didn't enjoy this at all. D93. Fear Itself: Something with Bite: A fun, light werewolf episode from the Demon Knight director. Stars Bunk from The Wire. C94. Donkey Punch: Everyone in this movie pretty much got what they deserved, jesus what an unlikable group of people. C-

October 23rd95. Attack of the Puppet People: Silly but charming film about a deranged doll maker who shrinks people to make living dolls. A bit slow at times. C

October 24th96. Haute Tension: Great until the awful twist ending which negates the entire film. I still love it but I shouldn't. B+97. Leopard Man: Tourneur's use of shadow and light always amazes me. Highly recommended. A98. Ghost Ship: Another winner from the Lewton collection. B99. My Bloody Valentine (2009): A successful remake. This is a lot of dumb fun. I wish I had seen it in theatres in 3D. B

October 25th100. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: I wanted a classic for #100. Still manages to be effective even though I've seen it countless times. A

October 26thEvil on Two Legs101. Halloween: My favorite horror movie of all time, and one of my favorite films period. A perfect example of what you don't see being scarier than what they show you. A+102. Halloween II: A worthy sequel. Ups the kills and gore but loses the mood of the first. B103. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers: My favorite of the sequels. B104. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers: The start of the retarded "Thorn" storyline. I still like this one, but Michael driving a sports car is not scary. C+105. Halloween 6 Producer's Cut: Infinitely better than the theatrical cut. It actually fleshes out the "Curse of Thorn" story and makes it understandable, too bad that story is still crap. D+

October 27th106. Hollow Man 2: A crappy sequel to the pretty decent original. D+107. Fritt Vilt: Pretty cool Norwegian slasher. The snowy setting really highlights the isolation B108. Shallow Ground: A naked boy covered in blood shows up at the police station. It gets weirder from there. This is a decent indie horror film with really great fx of the old school variety. C+109. Child's Play 2: I like this one better than the first. Chucky's never been scary to me, but it's still a fun movie with some nice gore. B-

October 28th110. TerrorVision: Oh man this movie is ridiculous. It would be a great drunk watch. C+111. Fear Itself: Chance: The story is run-of-the-mill but Ethan Embry is great in this one. C112. Return of the Living Dead 3: Nowhere near as good as the first two, but it's a cheesy and enjoyable. C113. Motel Hell: I love this movie, it's just so weird. Rory Calhoun is great as farmer Vince. I think I spotted a young Cliff Clavin as one of the band members. B114. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown: Wilcard #6 I look forward to this every year.115. The Slumber Party Massacre: Gratuitous nudity and a murder within the first 5 minutes, yep it's an 80's slasher. The electric drill seems a bit inefficient for a slasher weapon but it sure is phallic. C

October 29th116. Night of the Creeps: Alien brain slugs, zombies, axe murderers, and Tom Atkins. This movie has everything, one of my favorite B movies of all time. B+117. House: This is a weird mishmash of stuff. I think it would have benefited from a more serious tone. George Wendt is awesome. C118. Monster Squad: Great fun. I have watched a couple movies during this that make wish I was a kid viewing them. I'm glad they didn't dumb it down and the child actors were all top notch. B+

October 30th119. Night of the Demons 2: This one focuses more on religion than the first but still remains fun. Lots of sweet gore effects and 90's cheese. B

October 31st120. House of 1000 Corpses: For all it's flaws, I love this movie. It's one of the few horror films my girlfriend enjoys watching with me so it's become a Halloween tradition. A-

1. Alien (1979) - *****(DVD - 12:00 am)Comments :I have seen this movie more times than I can remember and I always find something new to it. A deep space mining crew is awakened from hypersleep to investigate a strange signal from a distant planet. They bring back an unwanted creature that destroys the crew one by one. This is a true classic that never fails to impress or entertain. Hard to believe that it is now 30 years old! Couldn't think of a better movie to start this challenge!

2. Aliens (1986) - *****(DVD - 2:00 am)Comments :A rare case when a sequel actually measures up to the original. After 57 years in suspended hypersleep, Ellen Ripley returns to the planet where the alien was first encountered. Only this time, she's part of a rescue crew of marines investigating the lack of communication with the colonists that have settled the planet. This one is hard to beat on every level and really is a roller coaster ride of a movie! Sigourney Weaver is excellent as are the effects and story. A classic that never gets old for me.

3. Alien3(1992) - ****(DVD - 4:45 am)Comments :Ripley crash lands on a prison planet with an alien on board her escape vehicle. As the creature grows and begins dispatching the prisoners, Ripley begins to understand a more horrifying connection with the alien. Underappreciated upon original release, this one still has a terrific performance by Sigourney Weaver and great atmosphere. Although it is flawed, I still enjoy it for the most part. The Special Edition is a definite improvement but effects are not up to the first two films.

4. Alien Resurrection (1997) - ***(DVD - 9:15 am)Comments :200 years later, Ellen Ripley is cloned to harvest the alien embryo inside. When the aliens prove too smart for their captors, a small group of smugglers have to find a way to escape an infested ship as well as deal with a Ripley that may not have their best interests in mind. This movie had potential but unfortunately is another step down from the others. Some over-the-top acting and a few bad one liners don't help. Has its moments, both good and bad. I can still get into it but had hoped for a bit more. Again, Weaver does her best and the effects are great.

5. Cube (1997) - ****(DVD - 11:30 am)1st Time ViewingComments :Several strangers wake up inside a cube containing numerous interconnecting rooms, many of which contain deadly traps. Tensions and emotions begin to unravel as they try to make sense of their surroundings and find a way to escape. This was an excellent choice for the film subset and really keeps you on edge. I couldn't help but be reminded of the Saw films, although this one came first. Good performances by an unknown cast keep this one moving.

6. The Legend of Hell House (1973) - ****(DVD - 2:40 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :Four people (2 psychics along with a paranormal researcher and his wife) attempt to unravel the strange occurances at a house with a violent past. The malevolent spirits in the house soon begin to torment the guests during their week long stay. Pretty effective haunted house movie with some interesting camera angles, moody yet minimal score, and decent effects (for the time). Some creepy moments along with a very good cast make this one a good movie. Although rated PG, it has a much more dark, sinister, and adult tone.

7. See No Evil (2006) - ***(DVD - 5:15 pm)Comments :Juvenile delinquets perform community service to reduce their sentence through cleaning up a rundown former hotel. They come across a giant ax-wielding killer inhabiting the hotel who likes to remove the eyes from his victims. Very gory film is about what you might expect and doesn't let up. A decent film but you may not care too much about the fate of most of the characters. Still, does not shy away from gore and violence.

8. The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (1976) - ***(DVD - 7:00 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A 13 year old girl is menaced by the town child molestor and attracts the attention of other people in town that are curious about her seemingly absent father. Jodie Foster does a great job in this well-acted and uncomfortable thriller. Not a traditional horror film as much as a thriller, with horror elements.

9. I Bury The Living (1958) - ***(DVD - 8:45 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :The new chairman of a cemetary begins to suspect that he is responsible for several deaths after accidentally putting the 'occupied' pin on the cemetary plot map. Interesting concept and twist. Black and white thriller is pretty good for it's type.

10. Silent Scream (1980) - ***(VHS - 10:15 pm)Comments :Four college students rent rooms in a seaside home with a woman and her odd high school aged son. But who, or what, is behind the wall in the attic and creeping behind the walls of the large house? Standard slasher that has been out of circulation on video for years, to be released on DVD finally in November. I remember this from the drive in theatre back in the day, with creepy performances by Yvonne DeCarlo and Barbara Steele. Ok slasher with a few scares along the way, but the VHS quality is hard to bear!.

Friday - October 2

11. Dracula (1931) - ***(DVD - 8:00 am)Comments :Dracula comes to London and puts Mina under his spell. Van Helsing and Jonathan Harker attempt to stop him. Ok, Lugosi is great and Dwight Frye is Renfield but this classic is extremely talkie and dated by today'standards. Great production is very tame.

12. Nightmare Castle (1965) - ***(DVD - 11:15 am)1st Time ViewingComments :A scientist takes sadistic revenge on his unfaithful wife and her lover, then plots to drive her stepsister insane to inherit her money. Italian production is poorly dubbed (which adds to its charm) and is extremely melodramatic. Haunted elements add fun to this gothic revenge thriller. Sometimes unintentionally funny but also worth a look with a great cast. Seek out the restored version known as "The Faceless Monster" with a much better transfer.

13. The Substitute (2007) - ****(DVD - 1:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :Poor Carl. While dealing with the death of his mother, he also has a new substitute teacher that has some very strange behaviors. When the students discover her secret, none of the adults are willing to believe their outlandish stories. I really liked this movie for its dark and warped sense of humor. The performances are good and the story is alot of fun.

14. Laserblast (1978) - *(Netflix Online - 3:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :Boy finds a laser weapon and begins to ...oh, who cares? Big old piece of garbage that was only bareable due to the MST3K treatment. Dull and tedious to say the least. More horrible than horror!

15. His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009) - ****(DVD - 6:00 pm)Comments :Pretty good documentary covering all 11 films, plus a bit of the remake. With so many of the survivors willing to come back for another round, I am surprised that it hasn't at least been kicked around seriously. If done right it could be alot of fun and great for the fans.

16. Return to Horror High (1987) - ****(DVD - 7:30 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A film crew making a movie about a series of murders at a high school try to film in the actual location of the events. One by one, they begin to die. Lots of dark humor along with a brief appearance by George Clooney and Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady)! Liked this one and surprised I had never seen it before.

17. House on Haunted Hill (1999) - ***(DVD - 10:00 pm)Comments :A wealthy man throws a birthday party for his wife and 5 strangers in a former asylum with a grisly past, offering 1 million dollars to those who stay the entire night. Good cast, plenty of gore, great atmosphere and effects, but not in the same league as the original. Some nods to the original as well.

Saturday - October 3

18. Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007) - **(DVD - 5:00 am)1st Time ViewingComments :Better title would be "Raiders of the House on Haunted Hill". People enter the Hill House in search of the priceless Bath Mat (that's what it sounded like) idol and encounter the evil spirits inside. Largely unknown cast in this direct-to-DVD sequel with some gory kills and a pretty silly set-up. Take some Drammamine for the ridiculous use of shaky cam in this one. Jeffrey Coombs must have had a house payment due. Watch after the end credits for a bit of nudity and obvious setup for further sequels. Or not.

19. The Sickhouse (2007) - *(DVD - 10:00 am)1st Time ViewingComments :An archaeologist and 4 young adults are trapped in a London Black Plague site where they have unleashed an evil spirit. Low budget film is so darkly lit that it is hard to see anything. Yet again, the dreaded shaky cam, quick cuts and hand held camera views annoy more than anything else. Slow moving with a few sick scenes and not much else yet could have been something. Trys for a twist ending but by that point, you won't really care.

20. Poltergeist (1982) - *****(DVD - 11:45 am)Comments :Suburban family's home is invaded by malevolent spirits that concentrate on their youngest daughter. Now this is more like it! I love this movie and remember seeing it at the theatre back in '82. Some effects are dated but it has aged pretty well. Strong storytelling and excellent performances make this a winner all around. Hopefully, the dreaded rumored remake will vanish into the closet light!

21. House of Wax (1953) - ****(DVD - 1:40 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :After a devastating fire destroys a sculptor's wax creations, he rebuilds his museum despite having lost the use of his hands. Effective film with Vincent Price excellent as the sculptor. Another classic that I am ashamed to say that I have missed until now!

22. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) - ***(DVD - 5:00 pm)Comments :One year later and the family is terrorizrd again by the restless spirits. I like parts of this movie but it is extremely flawed. Would love to see the rumored extended cut, if it even exists. A shame since it has a great cast and one creepy villain played by Julien Beck. Goldsmith's score is top notch as well - it's just the story that really disappoints. Not a total loss though.

23. Poltergeist III (1988) - ***(DVD - 7:00 pm)Comments :Carol Ann goes to Chicago to temporarily live with relatives but the spirits have followed her as well. Tragic passing of Heather O'Rourke overshadows the film which tries for a more low key approach for special effects, some of which are pretty impressive. Some parts work ok, but it just doesn't come together as well as it should. It's a shame because a pretty decent cast is wasted in this sequel. Not that bad but could have been so much better.

24. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) - ***(DVD - 9:00 pm)Comments :Jason hitches a ride with some graduating seniors on a cruise to New York. Silly, trashy, and I love it! Not art but always had a soft spot for the Friday films, no matter how bad they were. Ending is still a bit bizarre but considering where they took the story in the next two installments...!

25. Ghost Ship (2002) - ***(DVD - 10:45 pm)Comments :A salvage crew finds a floating luxury liner that isn't as vacant as it fist seems. After a great opening scene, this one just kind of feels played out and never matches that same level again. Good cast tries hard but it just isn't enough. Just average.

Sunday - October 4

26. The Manitou (1978) - ***(DVD - 8:45 am)Comments :A woman develops a tumor on her back that grows at an alarming rate, puzzling her doctors and tarot card reading ex-lover. Naked midgets, indian black magic and exploding flying typewriters! And that cosmic ending in the hospital room is hysterical. Campy film has a good first half but goes way over the top towards the end. This was a late night cable staple on TV when I was growing up. Icky birth scene and seance stand out.

27. Bug (2006) - ***(DVD - 11:30 am)1st Time ViewingComments :A woman lives in a rundown motel scared of her abusive ex-husband. She takes in a drifter and discovers a bug infestation in her room. Not quite what I expected but interesting psychological thriller with an excellent cast. Claustrophobic and depressing, yet oddly hypnotic with some disturbing scenes.

28. The Last Winter (2006) - *(DVD - 3:00 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :An advance drilling team in the Arctic begins to experience strange behavior and phenomenon in the Arctic. Very slow moving film takes forever to go anywhere. Lots of shots and scenes of people walking and waiting around gets pretty dull fast. Finally picks up a bit after 50 minutes or so, but still dull.

29. Dead Silence (2006) - ***(DVD - 7:00 pm)Comments :A local legend of a ventriloquist and her dolls begins to come true for one man and a detective. Not too bad, actually, but those dolls have always creeped me out anyway. Plus, Mary Shaw is a pretty scary image as well. Had forgotten most of this movie so it was a treat to see it again.

30. Vamp (1986) - ****(DVD - 9:00 pm)Comments :Two fraternity pledges head out to hire a stripper for their initiation. They make the mistake of finding some with a taste for human blood! Loved this movie when I saw it in the theatre. Horror comedy in the same vein (pun intended) as Fright Night. Funny with a few scares here and there - and one crazy strip sequence from Grace Jones!

Monday - October 5

31. High Tension (2003) - ****(DVD - 5:15 pm)Comments :Two girls head to the french countryside to study and run across a brutal psychopath. Ok, I admit, I fell for the shock ending when I went to see this. It still holds up and is loaded with gore, but not the same once you've seen the ending. Still, a gruesome but fun watch!

32. Boogeyman (2005) - ***(DVD - 7:00 pm)Comments :A boy grows up with an intense fear of the boogeyman and must return to the house of his youth to face his fears. This movie has a great beginning but really loses focus towards the end. I liked it more upon first seeing it but not as much now. Ok, I guess, but the CGI does nothing for me here.

33. The Grudge (2004) - ***(DVD - 8:45 pm)Comments :A house affects the lives of everyone who enters, leaving a trail of death in several intersecting characters. Not really as good as the original but an ok remake with some scares along the way. The ghosts are at times both creepy and a little silly, but if you are in the right mood, can be fun.

Tuesday - October 6

34. The Nanny (1965) - ****(DVD - 8:45 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A troubled young boy returns from the hospital and is scared of the family nanny. I would never have seen this movie if not for the challenge subset. I was very impressed and found it to be chilling, sad, and haunting. Would recommend this one!

35. The Hunt (2006) - ****(DVD - 8:00 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :While filming a hunting video, a hunting party goes missing. Low budget film has some similarities to The Blair Witch Project but is competently filmed and acted. Not too bad and keeps your interest.

36. Contamination (1980) - ***(DVD - 9:30 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :Egg-like objects arrive in New York and release a toxin causing victims to explode. Oh man, where to start on this one? Bad acting, insipid yet laugh-out-loud dialogue, hilarious overdubbing, horrible music, just cheesy in every way possible. This Alien ripoff is one of those so-bad-it's-good kind of movie - but it is really NOT good. Still, if you're in the mood for this sort of thing... And that sound the eggs make before they hatch is ridiculous!

Wednesday - October 7

37. Vampyr (1932) - ***(DVD - 4:30 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A man staying in a hotel encounters death that seems to come from a supernatural source. Interesting, practically silent film is not for all tastes and has its moments, but not quite what I was expecting. At times, fascinating, and at other times, tedious.

38. Prom Night (1980) - ***(DVD - 8:00 pm)Comments :Someone is killing several high school seniors on the night of the prom. Ok, was there ever a doubt who the killer was?! I forgot this movie for the most part and watching it now, didn't know if it was supposed to be this silly or not. Plus, how old are these 'teenagers' in this high school? Ok slasher, but looks like it was filmed with vaseline on the camera lens. The dance scene is hysterical!

39. Hello Mary Lou! Prom Night II (1987) - ****(DVD - 9:45 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :Prom Queen and bad girl Mary Lou dies in a tragic prank, but her spirit returns 30 years later to take revenge. Funny, tongue-in-cheek movie has no relation to the original film but is alot of fun. Campy with a few scares along the way. Will watch this one again!

Thursday - October 8

40. Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1987) - **(DVD - 7:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :Mary Lou returns from the grave and haunts a high school boy, making him an accomplice to her murder spree. Corny attempts at horror spoof don't really work in this lame sequel. Too bad after the last installment. Also not helping is the DVD is the tv-edit.

41. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) - ****(DVD - 9:00 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A documentary crew film a serial killer as he details the setup for his planned attack on a group of young kids. A fun film that pays homage to all the slasher film rules. Twisted humor gives way to a darker climax.

Friday - October 9

42. Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil (1992) - *(DVD - 6:30 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A deranged priest goes after teenage sinners. What a complete waste of time this one was. Bad acting and just plain stupid. Also, the priest should be much older than the kids he is stalking but doesn't age over the 30+ years of the film. Oh well, had to finish the series to say that I have seen them all.

43. The Signal (2007) - ***(DVD - 8:30 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A signal begins to effect people causing random and violent outbursts. Comedy mixed with violence and a constant feeling of uncertainty of each character's motivations. Pretty good film although at times hard to follow.

44. [REC] (2006) - ****(DVD - 10:30 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A reporter and cameraman filming a fire crew get locked in an apartment building that has been quarantined. Probably would have been more effective if I had seen this one before the remake. Well-done, claustrophobic film.

45. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2007) - ***(DVD - 11:45 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A chicken franchise is built on the site of a indian burial ground. Not sure what I was expecting from this, but it is truly bizarre. Cheesy, silly, and just strange, but if you are in the mood, could be funny.

Saturday - October 10

46. The Grudge 2 (2006) - ***(DVD - 1:45 pm)Comments :A girl travels to Japan to bring back her sister and experiences the rage-filled spirits. Decent, but not great sequel. Seemingly unrelated plots finally come together in the last few minutes. Should have been better.

47. Chopping Mall (1986) - ***(DVD - 3:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A shopping mall installs security robots to roam at night. Cheesy 80's movie is so bad it's good. As long as you know what you are getting into...

48. Baby Blues (2008) - ****(DVD - 5:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A mother of four sinks further into a depressed state while her husband is away at work. Wow - I didn't really know what to expect with this one. Suspenseful, tough to watch at times film is pretty good. If you don't like seeing children in danger, you may want to skip this one. Otherwise, a vey chilling movie.

49. The Stepford Wives (1975) - ****(DVD - 7:00 pm)Comments :A family moves to Stepford where things seem to be just a bit too perfect. Even knowing the ending, this is a great film from the 70's. Katharine Ross is great and Paula Prentiss adds a great comedic element.

50. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) - ***(DVD - 9:30 pm)Comments :After being blown to bits by the FBI, Jason's spirit inhabits various bodies looking for a way to be reborn. Not one of the better sequels, but at least they tried for something different. Some gory moments and a few shoutouts to other horror films.

Sunday - October 11

51. The Grudge 3 (2009) - ***(DVD - 8:00 am)1st Time ViewingComments :The curse has taken over a Chicago apartment building. Good DTV follow-up is almost undone by the bad acting of it's female lead, otherwise, about the same as part 2.

52. The Messengers (2007) - ***(DVD - 10:30 am)Comments :A family moves to the country to a farm where the kids begin to see strange things happening. Really good cast and a few creepy moments along the way.

53. Cemetary Man (1993) - ****(DVD - 1:00 pm)Comments :A man works at a cemetary where the dead come back to life. Dark humor and multiple viewings help with this movie. I was not a fan the first time I saw it, but have sense come to really like it. Weird but interesting.

54. Wind Chill (2007) - ****(DVD - 5:45 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :While traveling home from college for winter break, two students have an accident leaving them stranded on a deserted road in the middle of the night. Another movie that I had no idea what to expect. Very good film often feels like an X-Files episode, very atmospheric and holds your interest. Creepy and claustrophobic.

55. The Return (2006) - ***(DVD - 7:45 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A woman is drawn to a small Texas town even though she is constantly feeling stalked by someone there and having visions. Slow-moving film has its moments, but tends to drag in spots. Not bad, but seems to take a while to get going.

56. No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker (2008) - ***(DVD - 9:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :A serial killer is executed and 30 years later, returns. Inventive effects, gory, but very strange story. Pretty good opening and then the film takes off in a bizarre direction. Didn't know this is a sequel though.

Monday - October 12

57. Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977) - *(DVD - 4:15 pm)1st Time ViewingComments :For a synopsis, see the title. As for the film itself, what the hell did I just watch?! How much voice over can one film actually have? Truly bizarre movie.

58. Highwaymen (2004) - ***(DVD - 7:30 pm)Comments :A man uses his car to stalk and kill others while the husband of one of his victims pursues him. Beautifully shot, but the story has alot of holes in it. Still, well acted and fast moving film with some creepy moments.

59. Joy Ride (2001) - ****(DVD - 9:00 pm)Comments :A cb radio prank goes too far when the victim decides to exact revenge. Both funny and suspenseful film is very well done. A little far-fetched at times, but still enjoyable.

Tuesday - October 13

60. Psycho (1960) - *****(DVD - 4:00 pm)Comments :A man and his mother run a motel off the main highway. How can you go wrong with this one? So much emphasis is given on 'the shower scene' but Anthony Perkins is fascinating to watch. A classic in every sense of the word.

61. Psycho II (1983) - ****(DVD - 6:00 pm)Comments :After 23 years in an asylum, Norman Bates is coming home. Good sequel gets most of it's momentum from Anthony Perkins. Story pays homage to the original and has a good payoff. Some people complain about the ending, although much of that is revisited in part 3.

62. Psycho III (1986) - ***(DVD - 8:00 pm)Comments :A troubled girl leaves a convent tragically and finds refuge at the Bates Motel. Decent sequel tends to follow a more slasher film format which diminishes what was really effective in the previous two films. Not as successful this time around, but Perkins is still giving it his all. Some pretty sleazy and unlikeable characters make it easier to root for the killer in this one. Shower scene is a pretty good shocker.

Wednesday - October 14

63. The Girl Next Door (2007) - ****(DVD - 4:15 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :Two girls go to live with their aunt and cousins in a small town after a tragic accident. Horrifying film is extremely tough to watch and very deceptive in the first half. Although well-done, it is not an enjoyable film and is guaranteed to make you angry.

64. Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008) - ***(DVD - 5:45 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :Four people are menaced by a sadistic trucker. Ok DTV sequel has no known actors but works for the most part. Some pretty implausible scenes threaten to ruin the whole thing, but if you can overlook them, it's not that bad. And the 'gamling' scene is pretty tense as well. Lame setup for another sequel doesn't help.

66. Troll (1986) - **(DVD - 7:15 pm)Comments :A cursed troll is converting an apartment building into a fairy universe. Don't expect any horror from this silly movie. I give the actors credit for keeping a straight face but still an embarassing mess. Campy and not to be taken seriously in typical 80's fashion!

68. Deep Red (1975) - ***(DVD - 2:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A pianist witnesses a brutal murder and becomes obsessed with solving the case. All the Argento trademarks are present with this one. It is a bit talky and the switching from dubbed English to subtitles in the Director's Cut is a bit jarring. Could have used a few trims as some scenes drag on way too long.

69. Alligator (1980) - ****(DVD - 5:30 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :An alligator endures pesky humans on its way to a high society wedding - well, not really, but close enough! I loved this cheesy movie from beginning to end and can't explain why. Just a fun film!

70. Drag Me To Hell (2009) - ****(DVD - 9:30 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A loan officer denies an old gypsy women a loan extension and then endures a curse that will consume her soul. What a surprise this movie turned out to be. I missed it in theatres but it is funny with some scares. Some of the CGI is a bit awkward at times, but overall, very well done.

Saturday - October 17

71. Inferno (1980) - **(DVD - 7:00 am) 1st Time ViewingComments :A man searches for his sister who has gone missing after becoming interested in the mystery of the three mothers. Argento's folow-up/sequel to Suspiria is nowhere near as successful and at times becomes a confused mess. And that music is bizarre.

72. The Stepfather (2009) - ***(Theatre - 10:30 am) 1st Time ViewingComments :A man is obsessed with having the perfect family. Not a bad film, but nothing new here in this remake. Good cast tries but it's still a pointless remake to the original.

73. Zombieland (2009) - ****(Theatre - 12:20 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A handful of humans try to survive in a world overrun by zombies. Gory and funny film is very enjoyable - but not scary in the slightest. Lots of clever dialogue and some great surprises in this one.

74. Paranormal Activity (2009) - ****(Theatre - 2:15 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A couple begin to film and document the strange occurances they experience in their home. Creepy film that is best experienced with a group. Reminiscent of Blair Witch, but with a much better payoff and more likeable leads.

75. Let The Right One In (2008) - ****(DVD - 8:30 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A picked-on 12 year old boy befriends a neighbor girl with a secret. Not exactly what I was expecting, but a really good movie. Slow in several parts but very atmospheric and the kids do a great job. Would call this more of a drama with horror elements.

76. Jason X (2002) - *(DVD - 10:30 pm)Comments :After being cryogenically frozen, Jason is revived by a group of students who take him aboard their spaceship. Just as ludicrous as it sounds. Gets worse every time I see it and really showed signs of desperation with what to do with this franchise.

Sunday - October 18

77. Tenebrae (1982) - ****(DVD - 10:30 am) 1st Time ViewingComments :A writer's latest novel is being used as a blueprint for murder by an unknown killer. Gory and stylish but the DVD is the lowest quality. Too bad, as I enjoyed this Argento film.

78. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - ****(DVD - 12:30 pm)Comments :A killer stalks teenagers in their sleep. Have not watched this one in a very long time. It still hold up quite well. Very inventive for 1984 and Freddy is scary in this one. Not sure why they are doing a remake when the original is still good enough.

79. The Evil Dead (1981) - ****(DVD - 3:30 pm)Comments :While vacationing in a secluded cabin in the woods, five people unleash the evil dead. What else can be said about this one? I have not seen this one in a while and had forgotten how gory it is. Funny and doesn't waste any time getting going.

80. The Fly (1986) - ****(DVD - 5:30 pm)Comments :A scientist invents a teleportation machine and tests it on himself and, unknowingly, a housefly at the same time. This is how a remake is done! Gory, funny, sad, and scary. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis are incredible in this monster movie. Wonderful effects and makeup are complimented by a very good script and excellent performances.

81. The Exorcist (1973) - *****(DVD - 7:15 pm)Comments :A priest comes to the aid of a 12 year old girl who appears possessed. Nothing compares to this film. Incredible performances and a very slow build with atmosphere and scares that linger long after viewing. Many films have tried to duplicate it, but this is one that still has the power to scare.

Monday - October 19

82. Spider Baby (1968) - ***(Netflix Online - 5:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A chauffer takes care of a family of inbred lunatics. Weird movie is not what I had expected at all. Very interesting to see a young Sid Haig in this. Biggest drawback for me is not the film, but watching it online. Streaming is still not much fun for me at all.

83. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) - ***(DVD - 7:00 pm)Comments :It's five years later and a new family has moved into the house on Elm Street. Freddy tries to possess the son to murder for him. Much-hated sequel upon its original release is actually better than the reputation it has. Freddy is not the wise-cracking caricature yet and some parts are pretty creepy. Still, it has its many flaws but not as bad as once thought.

84. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - *****(DVD - 8:45 pm)Comments :Several strangers band together in a farmhouse to escape zombies roaming the area. Another classic that I can't add anything that hasn't been said before. I don't watch this movie nearly enough.

Tuesday - October 20

85. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors (1987) - ***(DVD - 4:30 pm)Comments :Young people are commited to a hospital for suicidal tendencies and suffer from nightmares. Pretty good sequel and a boost for tying in the first film. Some of the characters are a bit annoying but still enjoyable. Freddy's one-liners were brought to the forefront in this one.

86. Dawn of the Dead (1978) - ****(DVD - 6:00 pm)Comments :Survivors take refuge in a shopping mall while the dead gather outside. Funny and gory, although very stylized gore in this one. Only complaint is that it does drag on a bit in some scenes but very well done.

87. Day of the Dead (1985) - ****(DVD - 8:30 pm)Comments :Scientists and military in an underground bunker conduct experiments on the dead and search for other survivors. This one was not as well received in theatres but I really like it. Yes, some of the characters are very unlikeable, but necessary to show the strained conditions of the circumstances. Very gory with an excellent job by Savini - more realistic than the dayglo colors of Dawn of the Dead.

Wednesday - October 21

88. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master (1988) - ***(DVD - 4:15 pm)Comments :Freddy returns to kill the last of the Elm Street children but is opposed by a girl who has learned to master her dreams. This one has a much more polished look to it. Freddy's wise-cracks really started taking over at this point and the scares went out the window. Still, better than it had any right to be.

89. From Beyond (1986) - ***(DVD - 5:45 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A science experiment goes wrong and brings forth something from another dimension. Pretty over-the-top but fun film has it's moments. If you liked Re-Animator, you may enjoy this one too..

90. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - ****(DVD - 7:30 pm)Comments :Strangers come together in a local mall when the dead overtake the area. Excellent remake of the classic has some gruesome moments along with a pretty nice amount of comedy. Good cast keeps this one moving along at a very fast pace.

Thursday - October 22

91. Land of the Dead (2004) - ***(DVD - 3:00 pm)Comments :Civilizatons have begun to spring up in major cities, however, the dead are also evolving as well. Good cast tries its best, but this one just isn't quite up to the others. Not bad, but expectations were a bit higher for this one. Excellent makeup effects, once again.

92. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5: The Dream Child (1989) - ***(DVD - 5:30 pm)Comments :Freddy's trying to reach more teens through the dreams of one's unborn child. Interesting concept, but kinda felt played out by this point. Some interesting effects but the one-liners don't seem to have aged as well. No scares and a bit boring at times. Not bad, but about on the same level as the last one.

93. Ravenous (1999) - ****(DVD - 7:30 pm)Comments :At a military fort, a war hero discovers a gruesome secret about the diet of several others he is stationed with. Pretty good film with an excellent cast. Gory, dark humor, and a few good twists along the way.

Friday - October 23

94. Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981) - **(DVD - 7:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :People vacationing at an Italian villa encounter zombies. Oh man, I don't know what to say about this one! So bad it's good and then bad and then just plain weird. Extremely bad acting, laughable effects, zombies so slow that it was shocking anyone could ever be caught by one, bad makeup, creepy incest, music that sounds like an 80's arcade room...the list just goes on and on!

95. End of the Line (2007) - ****(DVD - 9:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :Several people become trapped in a subway tunnel where they are the victims of vicious attacks. Didn't know what to expect with this one and it was surprisingly entertaining. Disturbing due to the nature of those doing the killing. Claustrophobic and well-done low budget film.

96. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) - **(DVD - 10:30 pm)Comments :Freddy uses the last teenager in Springwood to bring other victims to him and to create a way to enter new territory. Man, I forgot how bad this one really is. A few good sequences, but the story and dialogue are pretty bad. It doesn't help that the characters are so unlikeable. What should have been a great send-off was just a big mess. The final sequence in 3-D looks bad to me, just like it did in the theatre.

Saturday - October 24

97. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - ****(DVD - 11:45 am)Comments :Freddy is resurrected by his original creators in a film that follows original star Heather Langenkamp. Clever premise and a pretty good redesign of Freddy let the series go out on a high note. Some stiff acting in places, but overall a fun film. Great cameos by some of the original stars.

98. Prince of Darkness (1987) - ***(DVD - 3:00 pm)Comments :A priest and group of grad school students discover a cannister in an old church that houses an evil power. Not one of Carpenter's best, but not that bad. Kind of talky for the first half, although the street vagrants do add a very creepy vibe.

99. Friday the 13th (2009) - ****(DVD - 8:00 pm)Comments :A group of friends and a man searching for his sister at Crystal Lake come up against Jason. Not bad, but some missed opportunities in this one. A slew of standard sterotype characters, although fast moving Jason is a nice touch.

100. Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - ****(DVD - 10:00 pm)Comments :Freddy uses Jason to strike fear on Elm Street but when even he can't control him, the two face off. Didn't remember this one being as graphic - for some reason was thinking it was another watered down PG-13 film. Mainly a Freddy movie with Jason thrown in. Some groan worthy moments with the teens, but overall pretty fun. Attempt to rewrite some of the legend (Freddy and fire / Jason and water) doesn't really work but easy to overlook.

Sunday - October 25

101. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990) - ****(DVD - 10:00 am)Comments :Henry is an ex-con living with a friend he met in prison. Together, they begin to kill randomly to satisfy their urges. At times a difficult film to watch due to the unremorsefulness and viciousness of the characters. Disturbing, sad, and rough film has good performances.

102. House By the Cemetary (1981) - ****(DVD - 3:30 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A family moves into a house in New England but something is already living there in the basement. Loved this Fulci classic full of bad dubbing, throat-ripping, maggot spewing, head-ripping fun. A lot of familiar faces for those who follow Fulci and Argento's other films.

103. The Strangers (2008) - ****(DVD - 5:45 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A couple return to their family home in the country after a wedding and are menaced in the dead of night. This movie gave me quite a few scares. Very savage and dripping with atmosphere, depressing and disturbing. Zombies, monsters, Freddy, etc. I can handle - but when it has a more realistic premise like this, it really creeps me out.

104. Vacancy (2007) - ***(DVD - 7:30 pm)Comments :A couple have car trouble and are forced to stay the night at an out of the way motel, not realizing they have wandered into a bad situation. Better than it had any right to be, but still kind of missed the mark. I like the actors, but some parts just seem awful familiar.

105. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) - ***(DVD - 9:15 pm)Comments :A band of survivors head to a large city to locate gas and supplies before heading to Alaska to escape the zombie population. Some pretty good effects but it does tend to drag in the middle a bit. Nice thing is that I had not seen it for a long time so it felt like seeing it for the first time.

Monday - October 26

106. An American Werewolf in London (1981) - *****(DVD - 4:30 pm)Comments :Two american travelers are attacked by a werewolf leaving one to begin transforming at the next full moon. Loved this movie growing up and it still holds up for me today. Can't say enough about the makeup effects, the comedy, and the likeability of the actors. Well done movie all around!

107. Phantasm (1979) - ****(DVD - 6:30 pm)Comments :A funeral home is the source of sinister dealings in a small town involving a very tall undertaker and some small creatures in robes. Weird movie but I really like this one. Grew up watching it several times as a kid. Funeral homes are creepy places to begin with, so the atmosphere really works.

108. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - *****(DVD - 8:30 pm)Comments :A group of young adults wander into a crazy family in backwoods Texas, including one member known as 'Leatherface'. Classic film is very light on the gore allowing more to the imagination and seems to work better as a result. Some characters are just hysterical to watch and listen to (Franklin) while others (Sally) keep you on edge with their conveyance of true fear and horror.

Tuesday - October 27

109. Phantasm II (1988) - ***(DVD - 6:00 pm)Comments :The tall man is back and the heroes from the first film are on his trail, trying to join up with a girl that appears in one's dreams. Glad that this finally got a R1 release. Change of lead actor is a bit jarring after seeing the first film, but it works well enough. If you didn't like the first, you won't enjoy this one - however, I found it to be fun.

110. Phantasm III (1994) - ***(DVD - 8:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :When Mike is kidnapped by the tall man, Reggie teams up with a young boy and Grace Jones-wannabe to save him. Calling this series strange is redundant. However, this episode is a mixed bag. Some moments but lame acting and constant reappearance of zombies(!) don't help. Beginning of this film makes the last film mostly filler and the ending is very unsatisfying. Hopefully, things will get back on track in the 4th film.

111. Frankenstein (1910) - ***(DVD - 9:45 pm)Wild Card #1 - 1st Time ViewingComments :Silent film version of the classic tale. Interesting short film but never have been a big fan of silent films. Some of the effects were impressive for being close to 100 years old.

Wednesday - October 28

112. Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) - ***(DVD - 6:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :Mike continues his search for the tall man and begins to unravel his secrets. I will have to revisit this series again because it tends to make little sense at times. I get the gist of it, but it is not easy to follow. Did not have a satisfying ending either, as I assume they were leaving the door open for a future installment.

113. Final Destination (2000) - ****(DVD - 8:00 pm)Comments :A boy has a premonition of a disaster and prevents himself and others from being killed, only to later find each of them dying mysteriously afterwards. Clever Twilight-Zone type film with some dark humor and a good cast. Lots of atmosphere in this fun movie.

Thursday - October 29

114. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - ****(DVD - 5:45 pm)Comments :A slacker and his friends try to survive a zombie outbreak in London. I have only seen this a couple of times before and it had been a while. Forgot so much of it and it really is a fun film. Won't wait that long to watch it again.

115. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - **(DVD - 8:00 pm)Comments :A mask maker has plans to play the ultimate deathly prank on an unsuspecting public. This was such a wasted opportunity. I understand the original thought of turning the Halloween film series into a brand, rather than a sequel machine. Still, it really fails when held up to the original and even the respectable second film. Some good actors are wasted.

116. Bewitched (1964) - *****(DVD - 9:45 pm)Wild Card #2 - Episode 1.7 - The Witches Are OutComments :Darren is asked to create an ad for a Halloween candy featuring an ugly witch, but Samantha and Aunt Clara are determined to show witches in a better light. I LOVE this series! Good episode from the first season. Aunt Clara's first appearance on the show I believe.

Friday - October 30

117. Demon Seed (1977) - ****(DVD - 6:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :A super computer terrorizes a woman and intends to mate with her. Interesting film to say the least. Julie Christy is great and some parts are just plain creepy, however it keeps your interest.

118. Trick 'r Treat (2008) - ****(DVD - 8:15 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :Several lives intersect as various stories connect on Halloween night in a small town. Had no idea what to expect with this one and I really liked it. Some clever moments where the movie plays a few tricks on not only it's characters but also the viewer. No idea why this didn't get released theatrically, but hopefully will find it's audience on DVD.

Saturday - October 31

119. The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970) - ***(DVD - 1:00 pm) 1st Time ViewingComments :An American psychologist in Italy witnesses a vicious attack and becomes intwined in solving the mystery of a serial killer's identity. Pretty easy to figure this one out, but still enjoyable. More of a crime thriller with horror elements than a true horror movie, but it counts!

120. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) - ***(DVD - 3:30 pm)Comments :Michael returns to Haddonfield to kill his adolescent niece. Decent sequel has atmosphere and a pretty good beginning but drags in the middle. A nice return to the original story line after the third one.

121. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) - **(DVD - 6:30 pm)Comments :One year after the last installment, Michael again tries to destroy his young niece. This one is a mess but nowhere near as bad as 'Resurrection'. Makers tried to do something with the 'man in black', but it never really pays off, even in the next sequel.

122. Halloween (1978) - *****(DVD - 8:45 pm)Comments :A masked killer stalks babysitters on Halloween night. After Psycho, this movie really kicked off the modern slasher film. Suspense, characters, and scares take priority over gore (which there isn't really any to speak of). None of the sequels, remakes, or knock-offs have been able to duplicate this one for me. A tradition of watching this on Halloween since it's original release, it is always a treat!

123. Halloween II (1981) - ****(DVD - 10:20 pm)Comments :Michael continues his killing spree, tracking Laurie down in the local hospital. Maybe it's just me, but hospitals have always been eerie to me. The unnerving quiet is tough for me. I like this sequel as it just keeps the original story going. Although not as effective as the first, its still a good entry in the series.

124. Halloween: 20 Years Later (1998) - ***(DVD - 11:50 pm)Comments :Laurie Strode changes her name and goes into hiding, trying to deal with her past, only to have Michael return to finish what he started. Some nice touches and great to have Curtis back but the film doesn't quite hold up. The movie only kicks into gear for the last 20 minutes or so, but it has its moments.

And this is going to do it for my very first Horror Challenge. I had alot of fun and look forward to reviewing everyone's lists and maybe finding a few new movies to seek out. Looking forward to next year!

Checklist

Spoiler:

Watch one film from every decade of film history.

I would say that I did a decent job on this list, but just couldn't get motivated to track down a few films to fully complete it. Left some spots open that I had every intention to complete, but ran out of time.

October 1
1. Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus- Director: Ace Hannah
What can I say? You get everything you'd expect from a movie with this title that stars Debbie Gibson, excuse me, DEBORAH Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas. Not sure which I liked more: the incredibly unrealistic CGI shark and octopus, or the continuously recycled footage of the incredibly unrealistic CGI shark and octopus.

This one kicked off a Mother-Nature-thy-name-is-horror theme for me, so it continues with:

2. Food of the Gods – Director:Bert I. Gordon
Great movie. Saw this I don't know how many times in the theater.
3. Frogs- Director: George McCowan
Huh?? What the.... ? HUH???
4. Bats – Director:Louis Morneau
Not just bats: genetically altered, giant killer bats! Ridiculous, full of cliches... but still kinda fun.
5. Kaw – Director:Sheldon Wilson
Not great, but not completely terrible. Not sure what they were thinking with that title.October 2
6. The Swarm- Director: Irwin Allen
Really bad movie. Haven't seen it since I was a kid, now I know why. I did love Michael Caine yelling at everybody, though.
7. Phase IV – Director: Saul Bass
Really great movie. Even creepier on the second viewing.
8. Squirm – Director: Jeff Lieberman
Another fond movie from my childhood. That worms-in-the-face shot is still one of the scariest things I've ever seen, it's an image that's stayed with me all these years.October 3
9. The Giant Spider Invasion- Director: Bill Rebane
Really bad. Haven't seen it since it came out, it did not hold up well(!)
10. Ice Spiders – Director: Tibor Takacs
Pretty bad. I was hoping for some campy fun, at least. Nope. Just bad.
11. Eight Legged Freaks – Director: Ellory Elkayem
And for the third giant spider movie: This one was kinda fun. Love the jumping spiders vs the dirt bikes. And Scarlett Johansson is in it(!)
12. Attack of the Giant Leeches- Director: Bernard Kowalski
Dreadful. Dated, sure... but still dreadful.
13. Black Sheep – Director: Jonathan King
Love this movie. Very funny and very bloody.
14. Of Unknown Origin – Director: George P. Cosmatos
Wow, this was a great movie. I don't know how this one slipped by me.
15. The Breed – Director: Nick Mastandrea
I enjoyed this one. Good action and some good scares. I did hate the ending, though.
16. The Fly – Director: David Cronenberg
A classic. What can I say?

...and that's it for Mother Nature. Next up: a Frankenstein marathon.

October 4
17. Frankenstein- Director: James Whale
Ashamed to admit it, but this is my first viewing on all these. Loved this one, wished it was a little longer.
18. Bride of Frankenstein – Director: James Whale
Great movie, but... the Bride finally arrives, is on screen for 5 minutes, then the movie ends(!) What the....??
19. Son of Frankenstein – Director: Rowland V. Lee
Liked this one too. I think the longer running time helped flesh things out a little. And of course, Bela.
20. Ghost of Frankenstein- Director: Erle C. Kenton
Not so great. Couldn't get behind the plot.
21. House of Frankenstein – Director: Erle C. Kenton
Definitely the oddest of the bunch. First Dracula shows up, then the Wolfman.... I thought this was a Frankenstein movie!
22. Revenge of Frankenstein – Director: Terence Fisher
This one was pretty cool. I love Peter Cushing movies.
23. Young Frankenstein – Director: Mel Brooks
Now after watching all the originals I wanted to revisit this one to see where Brooks got his inspiration. Just makes it that much funnier, especially the Kenneth Mars character.
24. Re-Animator – Director: Stuart Gordon
An absolute classic. Frankenstein with a twist.
25. From Beyond – Director: Stuart Gordon
Out of Frankenstein movies, and this seemed like a perfect double feature with Re-Animator. The DVD looks really good upscaled, by the way.October 5
26. Insanitarium- Director: Jeff Buhler
Pretty bad. Starts out as a mad doctor movie, then turns into a zombie/28 Days Later rip-off.
27. Dead Silence – Director: James Wan
I liked this one. Good story, very stylish.
28. Die, Monster Die! – Director: Daniel Haller
Started out kind of interesting, but then it crashes and burns rather quickly.October 6
29. The Brood- Director: David Cronenberg
Love this movie. Saw it for the first time last year, definitely recommended.
30. The Bone Snatcher – Director: Jason Wulfsohn
The tag line reads “It will scare you out of your skull”. Trust me, it won't.
31. Leprechaun – Director: Mark Jones
I'd heard about this but never seen it. The only reason I watched it was for Jennifer Aniston... which is pretty much the only reason to watch it.October 7
32. Demon Knight- Director: Ernest Dickerson
Not great, but still entertaining. Billy Zane makes a great demon.
33. Shredder – Director: Greg Huson
100% pure crap(!)
34. Laid To Rest – Director: Robert Hall
This one has me intrigued. It starts out looking like a mindless torture-porn movie, but it turns out to be something a little more interesting and complex. I'll have to watch this one again.October 8
35. The Gathering- Director: Brian Gilbert
A so-so movie, but with Christina Ricci it can't be all bad.
36. The Tripper – Director: David Arquette
Loved the satire, hated the movie. Except the scenes with Paul Reubens, and Thomas Jane had some good moments too.
37. Scarecrows – Director: William Wesley
Bad. Really bad. Boring and bad.October 9
38. Eyes of a Stranger- Director: Ken Wiederhorn
This wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Jennifer Jason Leigh helped bring it up a notch.
39. A Stranger is Watching – Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Didn't love it, didn't hate it.
40. Last House on the Left – Director: Wes Craven
First viewing, wanted to see it because of Craven and it's cult status, but... I really hated it. Gory murders is one thing, but having to sit thru torture, cruelty and humiliation is just not for me, especially when you intercut scenes for comic relief(!)October 10 - Today's theme: THAT 70s HORROR
41. Beyond the Door- Director: Oliver Hellman
I've been waiting since this movie came out to see it (wasn't able to in the theater). I've always remembered the trailer and the scary scenes from it. What a HUGE let-down.
42. Demon Seed – Director: Donald Cammell
A little dated, but still pretty scary.
43. The Manitou – Director: William Girdler
Cheesy horror with a well known cast.
44. Prophecy – Director: John Frankenheimer
It's hard to be scary with a monster that looks so silly. I guess I unknowingly had a sub-theme running today: That 70s Baby From Hell.October 11: SEQUEL SUNDAY
45. Psycho II- Director: Richard Franklin
Always liked this movie, actually saw it before I saw the original (that might be why).
46. Jaws 2 – Director: Jeannot Szwarc
I prefer the original title: “Jaw 2: Wholesome Teens in Peril”.
47. Scream 2 – Director: Wes Craven
Perfect follow up to the original.
48. Tremors 2- Director: S.S.Wilson
First viewing. I liked this one. Not as good as the original, but still in the same spirit.
49. Jeepers Creepers 2 – Director: Victor Salva
Love this movie. Creepy, gory, scary.
50. Damien, Omen II – Director: Don Taylor
I forgot how catchy that theme music is. I've been humming it for days!October 12
51. The Tattooist- Director: Peter Burger
I liked this one. Fairly scary and a good plot.
52. Dark Floors – Director: Pete Riski
Great premise and effects, but too many common sense problems and no pay-off.
53. The Substitute – Director: Ole Bornedal
This was great! Funny, good casting, good story.October 13
54. The Broken- Director: Sean Ellis
Loved the idea for this, very nicely shot, but would've liked a little more explanation.
55. Dying Breed – Director: Jody Dwyer
Yet another inbred-backwoods-cannibal story. Yawn.
56. Captivity – Director: Roland Joffe
I was surprised by this one, the first 30 minutes are pretty standard, but then it really takes off and gets engrossing.October 14
57. The Last House in the Woods- Director: Barielle Albanesi
Wow. I'm embarrassed to say I watched this. Excruciatingly bad. Not one good thing about it, either creatively or technically.
58. Dead & Breakfast – Director: Matthew Leutwyler
This was fun. Had heard about it but never seen it. Diedrich Bader is hysterical.
59. Head Trauma – Director: Lance Weiler
Pretty creepy movie. Very low budget, but the idea is cool and there's some very scary images.October 15
60. Parts the Clonus Horror- Director: Robert S. Fiveson
Very dated, probably scary at the time, but not anymore.
61. Reeker – Director: Dave Payne
One of my favs from last year. Great to pick up on some of the subtle clues on the second viewing
62. No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker – Director: Dave Payne
Good sequel, but if you've seen the first one it can't possibly have the same impact.October 16
63. Pumpkinhead- Director: Stan Winston
Longtime fav. Great story, very eerie.
64. Pumpkinhead – Ashes To Ashes – Director: Jake West
First viewing, and it was just what I expected: crap. The CGI shots of Pumpkinhead are very funny(!)
65. House of the Damned – Director: Maury Dexter
First viewing. There were a couple of times I thought it was going to get good, but it quickly derailed again. And what a stupid resolution. October 17: Dracula Marathon
66. Horror of Dracula- Director: Terence Fisher
Good.
67. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave – Director: Freddie Francis
Not so good.
68. Taste the Blood of Dracula – Director: Peter Sasdy
Some very dark subtext in this one.
69. Dracula A.D. 1972- Director: Alan Gibson
A good movie, even though it is the same-old same-old.
70. Bram Stoker's Dracula – Director: Francis Ford Coppola
I've seen this about 3 or 4 times, but it's getting less and less tolerable. Thank God for Anthony Hopkins.
71. Interview With The Vampire- Director: Neil Jordon
Only saw this once when it came out. I remember Tom Cruise being better as Lestat (or at least better than expected), but it didn't seem that way now.
72. The Lost Boys – Director: Joel Schumacher
Haven't seen this in a while either. A pretty fun ride... good humor, good effects and a great Dianne Wiest
73. Dracula – Dead and Loving It – Director: Mel Brooks
Never saw this. It was ok, but nowhere near as good as Young Frankenstein.October 18: Outstanding Originals and their Ridiculous Remakes
74. When A Stranger Calls - Director: Fred Walton
Haven't seen this in years. A really well made thriller.
75. When A Stranger Calls – Director: Simon West
So many inconsistencies I lost count. Stick with the original.
76. The Haunting – Director: Robert Wise
A really great movie. Very scary, and the less-is-more approach makes it that much more realistic.
77. The Haunting - Director: Jan De Bont
This actually started out somewhat decent, but then everything went out the window in exchange for unscary, unrealistic, unimpressive special effects.
78. The Omen – Director: John Moore
I decided to start with the remake this time so I could end with a good movie... wise choice. The use of present day events adds to the chill factor, and the revamped killings were great, but otherwise it was a dud.
79. The Omen - Director: Richard Donner
Great movie, a true classic. Why anyone would even attempt a remake is blasphemy.October 19
80. Office Killer - Director: Cindy Sherman
Great cast, cool concept, but yet again another movie with wasted potential.
81. Last Man on Earth – Director: Sidney Salkow
Really creepy movie. Much better than that piece of crap remake.
82. Otis – Director: Tony Krantz
Very uneven. It had great potential. Some scenes were great, but overall it just doesn't work. October 20
83. Vacancy - Director: Nimrod Antal
Another pleasant surprise. A good thrill ride.
84. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans – Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Kind of Romeo & Juliet with vampires and werewolves. Actually I liked it. The prequel was a smart move for this series.
85. Pathology – Director: Marc Scholermann
Morbid, gruesome and disturbing on many levels. A good movie, a little difficult to watch without a real hero to root for. All the characters are spoiled, obnoxious pricks, the “hero” is just the least despicable.October 21
86. The Uninvited - Director: The Guard Brothers
I enjoyed this. Completely surprised by the ending, although it does feel like a rip-off of another great movie (which I can't name or it will spoil it).
87. The Stepfather – Director: Joseph Ruben
So glad this was finally released. Terry O'Quinn is so great.
88. The Haunting in Connecticut – Director: Peter Cornwell
I really liked this one too. Lots of good scares.October 22
89. Believers - Director: Daniel Myrick
Good movie, but I think the "group" should've tried a little harder to make their argument because it comes off very one-sided.
90. The Hand – Director: Oliver Stone
I had no idea Oliver Stone directed this. Glad it was released, good psychological horror movie.
91. While She Was Out – Director: Susan Montford
I liked this one, but could've used a bit more creativity (how long can you drag out a chase thru the woods anyway?)
92. Hatchet – Director: Adam Green
This was great, just like the cover says: “old school American horror”. Everything worked great, even though the ending was a little “blunt”.
93. Prince of Darkness – Director: John Carpenter
Love this movie, one of my favs. October 23
94. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Director: Paolo Barzman
Kind of Jekyll-and-Hyde-go-to-court. Interesting approach, unfortunately not very well executed.
95. Deadgirl – Director: Marcel Sarmiento
The scariest thing about this movie: the complete lack of morals. The attitudes and actions of the characters are far more frightening than the actual “dead girl”.
96. The Empty Acre – Director: Patrick Rea
The film version of a rambling conversation: ambiguous, repetitive, slow and drawn-out. And in the end... you got nothing.
97. Creepshow – Director: George A. Romero
Another classic. Looks great on Blu.October 24
98. Dead Noon - Director: Andrew Wiest
This looks and feels like a film school student's project: extremely low budget, no-tech special effects and no one in the cast who's over 24. Even at 81 minutes it still feels too long.
99. Undead or Alive – Director: Glasglow Phillips
This was pretty funny. A few “dead” spots (yes, I went there), but good humor, acting and action/ effects for the most part.October 25
100. Cemetery Man - Director: Michele Soavi
Another fun movie. A tragic love story, with a whole lot of zombies.
101. Return of the Living Dead – Director: Dan O'Bannon
Great movie. Gross-out gore and laugh your ass off humor.
102. Resident Evil – Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
I've always liked the original best, a fun thrill ride.
103. Night of the Living Dead 3D – Director: Jeff Broadstreet
A great example of bad filmmaking. I loved how all the zombie action would periodically stop so the characters could have their slow, inane conversations.
104. Dawn of the Dead – Director: George A. Romero
A classic, plain and simple. Nothing more to add.
105. Day of the Dead – Director: George A. Romero
I'm surprised to hear so many people don't like this movie. It's my favorite of the series, just barely edging out “Dawn”.
106. Land of the Dead – Director: George A. Romero
Good movie, but those CGI effects just can't compare with the old school method.October 26
107. Hellraiser - Director: Clive Barker
A movie that literally gets under your skin. Creepy, creepy, creepy!
108. The Sender – Director: Roger Christian
Discovered this one last year. It's a very good movie, I'm surprised they haven't tried to remake it.
109. Below – Director: David Twohy
A really great ghost story. Wonderful storytelling, where each scene adds another piece to the puzzle.October 27
110. Jeepers Creepers - Director: Victor Salva
This gets creepier every time I see it. I really love the slow-build-up opening.
111. Planet Terror – Director: Robert Rodriguez
Not just a movie, it's a really great “experience”.
112. Wrong Turn – Director: Rob Schmidt
A scary, gory, gross-out of a movie.October 28
113. Dead Calm - Director: Phillip Noyce
Great movie. Talk about no place to hide(!)
114. The Gravedancers – Director: Mike Mendez
Saw this last year, decided to watch it again. I really like the plot, such a great idea.October 29
115. The Other Side - Director: Gregg Bishop
A truly great movie. I owe it's discovery to this challenge.
116. Child's Play – Director: Tom Holland
It's Chuckie, what can you say?
117. Dressed To Kill – Director: Brian DePalma
Say what you will, I love this movie. October 30
118. April Fool's Day - Director: Fred Walton
Deborah Foreman rocks! I love the whole idea behind this movie, a fresh approach to the horror genre.
119. Carrie – Director: Brian DePalma
One of my all time favorites. I know this movie by heart.
120. Alien – Director: Ridley Scott
Poetry on film. Definitely prefer the theatrical version over the newer “director's cut”. October 31
121. Night of the Creeps - Director: Fred Walton
A B-movie that knows it's a B-movie. Lots of fun.
122. Poltergeist – Director: Tobe Hooper
Great movie, a personal favorite. Wow, the Blu-ray looks incredible!
123. Aliens – Director: James Cameron
Such a complete change of pace from the original, but still a great film.
124. They Live - Director: John Carpenter
It's as if no time has passed, the theme of this movie is still relevant today.
125. The Fog – Director: John Carpenter
Another movie I've seen so many times I know it by heart. And I still love it.
126. Halloween – Director: John Carpenter
The only way to end a month long horror movie marathon. John Carpenter is King!

**DONE** Watch one film from every decade of film history.(1) 1890:The Execution of Mary Stuart(1) 1900:Le chaudron infernal(1) 1910:Frankenstein(1) 1920:The Phantom of the Opera(2) 1930:The Devil Doll; Freaks(6) 1940:The Corpse Vanishes; Bluebeard; The Amazing Mr. X; The Mummy's Tomb; The Invisible Man's Revenge; The Tell-Tale Heart(5) 1950:House on Haunted Hill; Attack of the Giant Leeches; The Bat; Horror of Dracula; The Bad Seed(8) 1960:The Last Man on Earth; The Terror; Night of the Living Dead; Bloodlust; Last Woman on Earth; Dracula Has Risen from the Grave; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; The Haunting(11) 1970:Carrie; Blood for Dracula; Suspiria; The Exorcist; The Legend of Hell House; MST3K: The Giant Spider Invasion; Burnt Offerings; The Sentinel; The Hills Have Eyes; Halloween; Dawn of the Dead(18) 1980:Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th Part 2; Friday the 13th Part 3; Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter; Poltergeist; Friday the 13th Part V; Friday the 13th Part VI; Friday the 13th Part VII; Friday the 13th Part VIII; Return of the Living Dead; Little Shop of Horrors; The Fog; My Bloody Valentine; April Fool's Day; Prince of Darkness; Halloween III: Season of the Witch; Friday the 13th: The Series: "Shadow Boxer"/"Root of All Evil"; Chopping Mall(7) 1990:Jason Goes to Hell; MST3K: The Giant Spider Invasion; From Dusk Till Dawn (Commentary); Frankenstein Unbound; An American Werewolf in Paris; The Frighteners; Night of the Living Dead(66) 2000:Pandorum; Skinwalkers; Desert of Blood; One Missed Call (2003); One Missed Call 2; One Missed Call (2008); Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; The Ferryman; Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist; The Eye (2008); The Amityville Horror (2005); Hatchet; Trick 'r Treat; Underworld; Underworld: Evolution; Freddy vs. Jason; Jason X; Friday the 13th; His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th; Let the Right One In; [REC]; Quarantine; A Haunting in Connecticut; Alone in the Dark; Miner's Massacre; Revenge of the Rats; High Tension; Resident Evil: Degeneration; My Name Is Bruce; My Bloody Valentine; Mirrors; Halloween (2007); One Missed Call 3: The Final; The Haunting in Connecticut; End of the Line; Drag Me to Hell; The Forsaken; Feast; Feast II: Sloppy Seconds; Penny Dreadful; Children of the Corn; Nightmare Man; Tooth and Nail; Rise: Blood Hunter; Them (Ils); The Last Winter; Spirit Trap; The Host; Feast III: The Happy Finish; Room 6; The Orphanage; The Tooth Fairy; Lake Dead; Blessed; Borderland; The Others; The Signal; Splinter; The Mist; Darkness; Jeepers Creepers; Jeepers Creepers 2; The Grudge 3; The Unborn; A Tale of Two Sisters; The Uninvited

**DONE** Watch a film for each rating:(22) Unrated (pre-MPAA):Le chaudron infernal; The Execution of Mary Stuart; Frankenstein (1910); The Last Man on Earth; House on Haunted Hill (1959); Attack of the Giant Leeches; The Terror; Night of the Living Dead; The Corpse Vanishes; Bluebeard; The Amazing Mr. X; Bloodlust; Last Woman on Earth; The Bat; The Phantom of the Opera; Horror of Dracula; The Mummy's Tomb; The Devil Doll; The Invisible Man's Revenge; The Bad Seed; Freaks; The Tell-Tale Heart(3) G:Dracula Has Risen from the Grave; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; The Haunting(3) PG:Poltergeist; The Legend of Hell House; Burnt Offerings(7) PG-13:Skinwalkers; One Missed Call (2008); The Eye (2008); Revenge of the Rats; Little Shop of Horrors; The Others; The Uninvited(62) R:Friday the 13th: Part 2; Friday the 13th Part 3; Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter; Pandorum; One Missed Call (2003); One Missed Call 2; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Carrie; The Ferryman; Suspiria; Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist; The Exorcist; The Amityville Horror (2005); Friday the 13th Part V; Friday the 13th Part VI; Friday the 13th Part VII; Friday the 13th Part VIII; Trick 'r Treat; Underworld: Evolution; Freddy vs. Jason; Jason X; Friday the 13th: Killer Cut (2009); Let the Right One In; [REC]; Quarantine; Alone in the Dark; Return of the Living Dead; Miner's Massacre; From Dusk Till Dawn (Commentary); Resident Evil: Degeneration; Frankenstein Unbound; The Fog; My Name Is Bruce; My Bloody Valentine (1981); My Bloody Valentine (2009); Mirrors; Halloween (2007); April Fool's Day; The Forsaken; Prince of Darkness; Feast; Penny Dreadful; Halloween III: Season of the Witch; Nightmare Man; Tooth and Nail; Them (Ils); Spirit Trap; The Host; The Sentinel; The Orphanage; Blessed; An American Werewolf in Paris; The Signal; Splinter; The Mist; The Frighteners; The Hills Have Eyes; Night of the Living Dead; Jeepers Creepers; Jeepers Creepers 2; The Grudge 3; Halloween (1978); Chopping Mall(1) NC-17:High Tension(1) X:Blood for Dracula(22) Unrated (post-MPAA):Friday the 13th: Uncut (1980); Desert of Blood; Hatchet; Underworld; Jason Goes to Hell; One Missed Call 3: The Final; The Haunting in Connecticut; End of the Line; Drag Me to Hell; Feast II: Sloppy Seconds; Children of the Corn; Rise: Blood Hunter; The Last Winter; Feast III: The Happy Finish; Room 6; The Tooth Fairy; Lake Dead; Borderland; Darkness; The Unborn; A Tale of Two Sisters; Dawn of the Dead (1978)

**DONE** Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).(17) First format, BD:Friday the 13th (1980); Friday the 13th Part 2; Friday the 13th Part 3; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Trick 'r Treat; Underworld; Underworld: Evolution; Freddy vs. Jason; Friday the 13th (2009); Let the Right One In; My Name Is Bruce; My Bloody Valentine (2009); The Haunting in Connecticut; Drag Me to Hell; The Orphanage; Splinter; Halloween (1978)(59) Second format, DVD:Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter; Poltergeist; The Exorcist; The Amityville Horror (2005); Friday the 13th Part V; Friday the 13th Part VI; Friday the 13th Part VII; Friday the 13th Part VIII; Jason Goes to Hell; The Last Man on Earth; House on Haunted Hill; Attack of the Giant Leeches; The Terror; Night of the Living Dead; The Corpse Vanishes; Bluebeard; The Amazing Mr. X; Jason X; Bloodlust; Last Woman on Earth; The Bat; [REC]; Alone in the Dark; The Phantom of the Opera; Horror of Dracula; Return of the Living Dead; Revenge of the Rats; MST3K: The Giant Spider Invasion; High Tension; Dracula Has Risen from the Grave; The Mummy's Tomb; From Dusk Till Dawn (Commentary); Little Shop of Horrors; The Invisible Man's Revenge; Resident Evil: Degeneration; Frankenstein Unbound; The Fog; My Bloody Valentine (1981); One Missed Call 3: The Final; End of the Line; April Fool's Day; Feast II: Sloppy Seconds; Penny Dreadful; Children of the Corn; The Host; Feast III: The Happy Finish; Lake Dead; Blessed; Borderland; The Others; The Mist; The Frighteners; Darkness; The Hills Have Eyes; Friday the 13th: The Series: "Shadow Boxer"/"Root of All Evil"; The Grudge 3; A Tale of Two Sisters; Chopping Mall; Dawn of the Dead (1978)(1) Third format, Theater:Pandorum; Darkness(28) Fourth format, TV:Skinwalkers; Desert of Blood; One Missed Call (2003); One Missed Call 2; One Missed Call (2008); The Ferryman; Suspiria; Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist; The Eye (2008); The Legend of Hell House; A Haunting in Connecticut; Miner's Massacre; The Devil Doll; Burnt Offerings; Freaks; Mirrors; Halloween (2007); The Forsaken; Prince of Darkness; Feast; Halloween III: Season of the Witch; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Haunting; Jeepers Creepers; Jeepers Creepers 2; The Unborn; The Uninvited(3) Fifth format, Online:The Execution of Mary Stuart; Le chaudron infernal; Frankenstein; Feast(18) Sixth format, Xbox 360 Netflix:Carrie; Blood for Dracula; Hatchet; His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th; Quarantine; The Bad Seed; Nightmare Man; Tooth and Nail; Rise: Blood Hunter; Them (Ils); The Last Winter; Spirit Trap; The Sentinel; Room 6; The Tooth Fairy; An American Werewolf in Paris; The Signal; Night of the Living Dead

**DONE** Watch films in at least two languages other than English.(3) First language, Japanese:One Missed Call (2003); One Missed Call 2; One Missed Call 3: The Final(1) Second language, Swedish:Let the Right One In(2) Third language, Spanish:[REC]; The Orphanage(2) Fourth language, French:High Tension; Them (Ils)(2) Fifth language, Korean:The Host; A Tale of Two Sisters

**DONE** Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:(12) Vampire:Desert of Blood; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Blood for Dracula; Underworld; Underworld: Evolution; The Last Man on Earth; Let the Right One In; Horror of Dracula; Dracula Has Risen from the Grave; From Dusk Till Dawn (Commentary); The Forsaken; Rise: Blood Hunter(1) Frankenstein:Frankenstein Unbound(5) Werewolf:Skinwalkers; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Underworld; Underworld: Evolution; An American Werewolf in Paris(1) Mummy:The Mummy's Tomb(1) Invisible Man:The Invisible Man's Revenge(24) Ghost/haunting:Poltergeist; One Missed Call (2003); One Missed Call 2; One Missed Call (2008); The Eye (2008); The Amityville Horror (2005); House on Haunted Hill (1959); The Terror; The Legend of Hell House; A Haunting in Connecticut; The Fog; Burnt Offerings; One Missed Call 3: The Final; The Haunting in Connecticut; Spirit Trap; The Sentinel; Room 6; The Orphanage; The Tooth Fairy; The Others; The Haunting; The Frighteners; Darkness; The Grudge 3; The Unborn(11) Witchcraft/satanic/religious:Suspiria; Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist; The Exorcist; The Terror; A Haunting in Connecticut; Miner's Massacre; End of the Line; Drag Me to Hell; Prince of Darkness; Children of the Corn; The Sentinel; Blessed; Borderland(7) Zombie:Night of the Living Dead; REC; Quarantine; Return of the Living Dead; Resident Evil: Degeneration; Night of the Living Dead; Dawn of the Dead (1978)(40) Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac:Friday the 13th (1980); Friday the 13th Part 2; Friday the 13th Part 3; Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter; Hatchet; Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning; Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives; Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan; Jason Goes to Hell; Freddy vs. Jason; The Corpse Vanishes; Bluebeard; Jason X; Bloodlust; The Bat; Friday the 13th (2009); The Phantom of the Opera (1925); Miner's Massacre; High Tension; My Bloody Valentine (1981); My Bloody Valentine (2009); Halloween (2007); End of the Line; April Fool's Day; Penny Dreadful; Nightmare Man; Tooth and Nail; Them (Ils); The Tooth Fairy; Lake Dead; Borderland; The Signal; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Frighteners; The Hills Have Eyes; Friday the 13th: The Series: "Shadow Boxer"/"Root of All Evil"; Halloween (1978); A Tale of Two Sisters; The Uninvited(17) Monster/creature feature/Godzilla:Pandorum; The Ferryman; Attack of the Giant Leeches; Alone in the Dark; MST3K: The Giant Spider Invasion; Little Shop of Horrors; My Name is Bruce; Feast; Feast II: Sloppy Seconds; Nightmare Man; The Host; Feast III: The Happy Finish; The Tooth Fairy; Splinter; The Mist; Jeepers Creepers; Jeepers Creepers 2(2) Documentary:His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th; A Haunting in Connecticut(1) Musical:Little Shop of Horrors(3) Spoof/comedy:Return of the Living Dead; Little Shop of Horrors; My Name Is Bruce(4) Revenge:Carrie; The Invisible Man's Revenge; The Fog; One Missed Call 3: The Final(1) Killer/evil doll:The Devil Doll(1) Killer/evil animal:Revenge of the Rats(2) Killer/evil child:The Bad Seed; Children of the Corn(1) Giallo:Suspiria(3) J horror:One Missed Call (2003); One Missed Call 2; One Missed Call 3: The Final(1) MST3K/rifftrax/CT:MST3K: The Giant Spider Invasion(7) film and its remake:One Missed Call (2003/2008); Friday the 13th (1980/2009); [REC]/Quarantine; My Bloody Valentine (1981/2009); Night of the Living Dead (1968/1990); Halloween (1978/2007); A Tale of Two Sisters/The Uninvited(2) based on a video game:Alone in the Dark; Resident Evil: Degeneration(15) based on a novel:Carrie; The Exorcist; The Amityville Horror (2005); The Last Man on Earth; Let the Right One In; The Legend of Hell House; The Phantom of the Opera; Horror of Dracula; The Bad Seed; Frankenstein Unbound; Burnt Offerings; Children of the Corn; The Sentinel; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Haunting; The Mist(1) directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis or Uwe Boll or Ulli Lommel:Alone in the Dark(1) won an Academy Award -- any category:The Exorcist(1) silent film:The Phantom of the Opera(1) Criterion version film:Blood for Dracula(1) with commentary:From Dusk Till Dawn(4) film and at least two of its sequels:Friday the 13th: 12 films; Underworld: 3 films; One Missed Call: 3 Films; Feast: 3 films(1) anthology film:Trick 'r Treat(8) takes place on a holiday:Trick 'r Treat; My Bloody Valentine (1981); My Bloody Valentine (2009); Halloween (2007); Halloween III: Season of the Witch; The Signal; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; Halloween (1978)(1) takes place in space:Jason X(2) takes place on or under the sea:The Ferryman; Friday the 13th Part VIII(2) animated film:Resident Evil: Degeneration; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown(2) called "Night of ...":Night of the Living Dead (1968); Night of the Living Dead (1990)(1) called "Return of ...":Return of the Living Dead(1) called "Revenge of ...":Revenge of the Rats(1) called "Attack of ...":Attack of the Giant Leeches(3) with the words "Living Dead" in the title:Night of the Living Dead; The Return of the Living Dead; Night of the Living Dead (1990)

**DONE** Watch one film from every decade of film history:(1) 1890: The Execution of Mary Stuart(1) 1900: Le chaudron infernal(1) 1910: Frankenstein(1) 1920: Nosferatu(2) 1930: The Mummy; Frankenstein(3) 1940: The Wolf Man; Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Return of the Vampire(6) 1950: Attack of the Puppet People; A Bucket of Blood; Revenge of the Creature; Creature from the Black Lagoon; Gojira: Godzilla; The Bad Seed(6) 1960: Night of the Living Dead; Tales of Terrror; The Terror; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Skull; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown(10) 1970: The Bat People; Blood for Dracula; I, Monster; Suspiria; The Gore Gore Girls; Alien; Dracula; Tombs of the Blind Dead; Halloween(12) 1980: Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th: Part 2; Friday the 13th: Part 3; Friday the 13th: Part 4;Prince of Darkness;Friday the 13th: Part 5; Friday the 13th: Part 6; Friday the 13th: Part 7; Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn; Deep Star Six; The Fog; Leviathan; Poltergeist; The Manitou; Return of the Living Dead; Fright Night(10) 1990 Cemetery Man; Freddy vs. Jason; The Nightmare Before Christmas; Cube; Jurassic Park; I Still Know What You Did Last Summer; From Dusk Till Dawn; Jack-O; Bram Stoker's Dracula; Deep Blue Sea(41) 2000: Pandorum; The Breed; Desert of Blood; Frankenstein; The Mist; The Eye; Children of the Corn; Bloody Reunion; Miner's Massacre; Reign of the Gargoyles; Rise of the Gargoyles; Mirrors; Rise: Blood Hunter; One Missed Call 2;Freddy vs. Jason;Skinwalkers; Jason X; Friday the 13th; The Breed;My Name is Bruce; Tamara; Black Sheep; A Haunting in Connecticut; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Doom; Drag Me to Hell; Brotherhood of the Wolf; Alone in the Dark; High Tension; The Marsh; The Unborn; 1408; Them; Quarantine; Organizm; Death of a Ghost Hunter; Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud; Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes; Lost Voyage; Blood and Chocolate; Return to House on Haunted Hill; The Signal; Final Destination; The Uninvited

**DONE**Watch a film for each rating:(16) Unrated (pre-MPAA):Attack of the Puppet People;A Bucket of Blood; Night of the Living Dead; Tales of Terror; The Terror; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Mummy; Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Nosferatu; The Unknown; Gojira: Godzilla; Return of the Vampire; Revenge of the Creature; The Skull; Frankenstein; The Bad Seed(2) G:Creature from the Black Lagoon; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown(5) PG:The Bat People; I, Monster; The Nightmare Before Christmas; Poltergeist; The Manitou(5) PG-13:Skinwalkers; The Unborn; Jurassic Park; Blood and Chocolate; The Uninvited(41) R:Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th: Part 2; Friday the 13th: Part 3; Pandorum; The Breed; Friday the 13th: Part 4; Prince of Darkness; Miner's Massacre; Friday the 13th: Part 5; Friday the 13th: Part 6; Friday the 13th: Part 7; Mirrors;Cemetery Man; Freddy vs. Jason; Jason X; Friday the 13th; My Name is Bruce; Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn; Suspiria; Tamara; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; The Fog; Alien; Leviathan; Alone in the Dark; The Marsh; Cube; Them; Quarantine; Dracula; Organizm; Return of the Living Dead; Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud; Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes; I Still Know What You Did Last Summer; Lost Voyage; From Dusk Till Dawn; The Signal; Fright Night; Final Destination; Bram Stoker's Dracula; Deep Blue Sea; Halloween(1) NC-17:High Tension(2) X:Blood for Dracula; Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn(15) Unrated (post-MPAA):Desert of Blood; Rise of the Gargoyles; Rise: Blood Hunter; Jason Goes to Hell; Black Sheep; A Haunting in Connecticut; Doom; The Gore Gore Girls; Brotherhood of the Wolf; 1408; Tombs of the Blind Dead; Death of a Ghost Hunter; Jack-O; Return to House on Haunted Hill

**DONE**Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc):(1) First format, Theater: Pandorum(21) Second format, TV: The Breed; Desert of Blood; Frankenstein;The Mist;The Eye; Children of the Corn; Prince of Darkness; Bloody Reunion; Miner's Massacre; The Pit and the Pendulum; Mirrors; Rise: Blood Hunter; One Missed Call 2; Cemetery Man; Skinwalkers; The Breed; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Poltergeist; Return of the Living Dead; Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud; Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes; I Still Know What You Did Last Summer; The Uninvited; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown(39) Third format, DVD: Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th: Part 2; Friday the 13th: Part 3; Friday the 13th: Part 4; The Wolf Man; Friday the 13th: Part 5; Friday the 13th: Part 6; Friday the 13th: Part 7;Freddy Goes to Hell; Freddy vs. Jason; Jason X; Friday the 13th; The Mummy; Suspiria; Black Sheep; A Haunting in Connecticut; Deep Star Six; Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; The Fog; Nosferatu; Revenge of the Creature; The Unknown; Drag Me to Hell; Creature from the Black Lagoon; Leviathan; Return of the Vampire; Brotherhood of the Wolf; The Unborn; The Skull; Cube; Dracula; Tombs of the Blind Dead; The Manitou; Jurassic Park; Lost Voyage; Blood and Chocolate; Frankenstein; Deep Blue Sea; Halloween(30) Fourth format, Online: Attack of the Puppet People; A Bucket of Blood; The execution of Mary Stuart; Le chaudron infernal; Frankenstein; Night of the Living Dead;Tales of Terror; TheTerror; All Souls Day; The Bat People; Blood for Dracula; My Name is Bruce; Child's Play 2: Chucky's Back; I, Monster; Tamara; The Gore Gore Girls; The Marsh; Room 6; Them; Quarantine; Organizm; Death of a Ghost Hunter; From Dusk Till Dawn; Jack-O; Return to House on Haunted Hill; The Signal; Fright Night; Final Destination; Bram Stoker's Dracula; The Bad Seed(3) Fifth Format, BD: Doom; The Nightmare Before Christmas; Gojira: Godzilla

**DONE** Watch films in at least two languages other than English:(1) First language,Korean: Bloody Reunion(2) Second language, Japanese: One Missed Call 2; Gojira: Godzilla(2) Third Language, French: Brotherhood of the Wolf; Them

**DONE**Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:(9) Vampire: Rise: Blood Hunter; Blood for Dracula; The Breed; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Nosferatu; Return of the Vampire; Dracula; From Dusk Till Dawn; Bram Stoker's Dracula(2) Frankenstein: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Frankenstein(6) Werewolf:Skinwalkers; The Breed; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Return of the Vampire; Blood and Chocolate(1) Mummy: The Mummy;[/B](1) Invisible Man: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein(5) Ghost/haunting: House on Haunted Hill; Mirrors; Room 6; Poltergeist; Lost Voyage; The Uninvited(12) Witchcraft/satanic/religious: Prince of Darkness; Suspiria; A Haunting in Connecticut; The Marsh; The Unborn; Tombs of the Blind Dead; The Manitou; Death of a Ghost Hunter; Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud; Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes; Return to House on Haunted Hill; Final Destination(5) Zombie: Night of the Living Dead; Cemetery Man; Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn; Quarantine; Return of the Living Dead(16) Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac: Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th Part 2; Friday the 13th Part 3; Friday the 13th Part 4; Miner's Massacre; Friday the 13th: Part 5; Friday the 13th: Part 6; Friday the 13th: Part 7; Jason Goes to Hell; Freddy vs. Jason; Jason X; Friday the 13th; High Tension; Them; I Still Know What You Did Last Summer; Jack-O; The Signal; Halloween(11) Monster/creature feature/Godzilla: Pandorum; Reign of the Gargoyles; Rise of the Gargoyles; The Bat People; Revenge of the Creature; Alien; Creature from the Black Lagoon; Gojira: Godzilla; Brotherhood of the Wolf; Organizm; Jurassic ParK(2) Documentary: His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th; A Haunting in Connecticut(1) Musical: The Nightmare Before Christmas(1) Spoof/comedy: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein(2) Revenge: Tamara; The Fog(1) Killer/evil doll: Child's Play 2: Chucky's Back(2) Killer/evil animal: The Breed; Black Sheep(2) Killer/evil child: Children of the Corn; The Bad Seed(1) Giallo: Suspiria(1) J horror: One Missed Call(1) MST3K/rifftrax/CT: MST3K: Manos: The Hands of Fate(1) film and its remake: Friday the 13th (1980/2009)(2) based on a video game: Doom; Alone in the Dark(2) based on a novel: Cemetery Man; 1408(2) directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis or Uwe Boll or Ulli Lommel: The Gore Gore Girls (Herschell Gordon Lewis); Alone in the Dark (Uwe Boll)(2) won an Academy Award -- any category: Alien; Jurassic Park(2) silent film: Nosferatu; The Unknown(1) Criterion version film: Blood for Dracula(1) with commentary: The Mummy(1) film and at least two of its sequels: Friday the 13th: 12 Films(1) anthology film: Tales of Terror(4) takes place on a holiday: The Nightmare Before Christmas; The Signal; Halloween; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown(3) takes place in space: Jason X; Doom; Alien(4) takes place on or under the sea: Deep Star Six; Leviathan; Lost Voyage; Deep Blue Sea(2) animated film: The Nightmare Before Christmas; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown(1) called "Night of ...": Night of the Living Dead(2) called "Return of ...": Return of the Vampire; Return of the Living Dead(1) called "Revenge of ...": Revenge of the Creature(1) called "Attack of ...": Attack of the Puppet People(1) with the words "Living Dead" in the title: Night of the Living Dead

October 30:
14) wildcard: Nightmares and Dreamscapes: Battleground
15) wildcard: Nightmares and Dreamscapes: Crouch End
I watched the rest of the series but calling most of these horror is really pushing it.

1. Masters of Horror: Imprint - I started last year, my first challenge, with something really graphic and gory (one of the Guinea Pig movies) that was Japanese. So, I thought I would stick close to a theme again this year starting with the "banned from TV" MOH episode. I had seen it once before quite a while back, and I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of this one. There are moments that make me cringe (in a good horror way), but then it reaches a point when things just get too damn silly. Speaking of silly, that's often what Billy Drago's performance is as well. Still, I think this ep is worth watching, if for no other reason than because it was directed by Miike.

2. Masters of Horror: Homecoming - I remember being an apologist for this ep when it first aired; many people hated this one! I sorta liked it my first time watching it. This time, not nearly as much. I still think the idea is hilarious -- veterans are rising from the dead to vote -- but I found many of the jokes more groan-worthy the second time around. Still a couple of good sight gags, though.

3. Masters of Horror: Haeckel's Tale - This ep is really quite slow and boring until boom! Zombie sex! Crazy! But not crazy enough to really redeem the episode. Not one of the best MOH eps.

4. Masters of Horror: Chocolate - I think there's a good idea here, finding yourself looking through someone else's eyes and experiencing what they do. I think there definitely are some intriguing sequences, but it's not exactly scary stuff. I find it entertaining enough.

5. Frankenstein (1910) - WILDCARD #1 Watched this for the optional checklist again this year. I already wrote most of my thoughts last year, but I'll say again how weird this monster is. I don't quite understand how bringing a dead person back to life would make it into a hairy, ape-like thing. Still fun to see, though.

6. The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895) - WILDCARD #2 Watched this for the optional checklist again this year. I already wrote most of my thoughts last year, but it's always fun to revisit films from the earliest days of cinema.

7. Blue Sunshine - Meh. Isn't this one supposed to have a cult following or something? I don't know; I found it underwhelming. There were some good moments (like the beginning), but it just sort of bored me to a large extent. For some reason, I did like that the crazy, drugged out people only had tufts of hair left on their head. Kind of funny, but also a bit creepy as well. He's so out of his mind that he doesn't even care enough to shave the rest of his head!

8. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Laserblast - This must be one of my all-time favorite MST3K episodes. The movie is unbelievably awful, which usually makes for the best episodes. The guys have a blast riffing on Leonard Maltin, who gave this move 2 and a half stars. Very highly recommended. It's in the 20th Anniversary set or you can watch it free at Google Video.

October 2

9. Le Chaudron Infernal (1903) - WILDCARD #3 Watched this for the optional checklist again this year. I already wrote most of my thoughts last year, but I'll say again that I really enjoy watching a Melies film. He was quite an innovative filmmaker who was able to make magic happen on screen with very limited resources. I know there's a Melies collection on DVD; I really need to buy that.

10. Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead - This iis among my least favorite MOH eps. I thought that the first time I watched it and my opinion didn't change upon second viewing. Tobe Hooper directed one of my all-time favorite movies in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and he's disappointed me so many times after that.

11. Cube - This movie has been on my radar ever since it was in theaters. I liked the premise and had many friends recommend it to me, but I never saw it until now. Overall, I liked it. A pretty good movie. They were certainly able to accomplish a lot with a limited budget. There were definitely flaws, though. It really started dragging for me until it started it started getting ramped up as it headed toward its conclusion. I enjoyed it enough that I will probably check out the other two films in the series.

12. Nightmare Castle - I'm withholding judgment on this one until I see the newer DVD version. The one I saw was cut to the point that it was hard to even figure out what the hell was going on. It didn't help that the DVD looked awful as well. There were some parts that I liked, so I'd rather see a more complete cut of the film before making a final ruling. I got my copy from Netflix. Another movie was included on the disc. Avoid this version! Oh, and Barbara Steel looks very weird as a blond. Very weird.

13. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - I thought this was a pretty good film. I would say that it's a comedy, but the violence in the film has weight, unlike other horror comedies. It did a great job in balancing the satire on horror movies and more suspenseful aspects of the story. I know some people scoff at movies that use the faux documentary approach, but I thought it worked for this movie. The filmmakers did a great job of creating a killer that could charm you but that you knew you would ultimately root against. I'd definitely consider purchasing this one.

October 3

14. Poltergeist - I wrote more about this in this film's discussion thread, so I'll try to sum up quickly. I watched this one mainly on my laptop while flying to attend an out-of-town wedding. I still have the first DVD release and didn't realize how bad it looked until I finished it at my friend's house on his TV. Wow, I need to upgrade to the Blu-ray! Still a great film, although I think the special effects haven't aged as well as other films. Overall, watching this film again was like taking a trip through my childhood. As a kid, I remember everyone talking about this film. It was a huge deal! Watching it as an adult, I was struck at how authentic the house felt. I swear my family had some of that same furniture (or at least looked very similar). Plus, all those Star Wars things the son had? I had all that crap, too! I don't know when the last time I saw this movie; it's been ages. But the pure nostalgia of it made me have an extra layer of appreciation for the film that I didn't have before.

October 4

15. Vampyr - I really need to upgrade this DVD. I still have the old Image release. It's truly awful. The disc features the worst subtitles I have ever seen, huge blocks of text that take up a lot of the picture area. Not cool. I think seeing a better representation of this movie would make me appreciate it more. As it is, I think it was created by a master craftsman in Dryer, but I've always felt distanced by it. I just can't quite get into it. I respect the movie a great deal,, but it just doesn't excite me.

16. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - This has long been one of my favorites. There's just so much to enjoy in this film. The set design is just extraordinary to look at. For anyone considering trying a silent film, I would heartily recommend this movie. I wrote more about this film in the challenge last year, if anyone is interested.

17. The Omen - Not to say that he doesn't have some other good movies on his resume, but I think this remains my favorite Richard Donner film. The kid is legitimately creepy, and Gregory Peck brings a lot of weight to his role. The music, which won an Oscar, is very effective.

October 5

18. The Manitou - The premise of this sounded pretty ridiculous, and it was. For me, it didn't really get going until the midget makes an appearance. Pretty silly stuff, but I think someone forgot to tell all the actors that.

19. I Bury the Living - This was the film on the other side of the Nightmare Castle DVD I got from Netflix. I figured, why not watch it? Not a bad movie. It had the guy who played Dennis the Menace's dad on the '50s TV show in a supporting role. I refuse to see him as anything else. Anyway, the premise might have been best served as a Twilight Zone episode or something, but I still thought it was decent. A bit of a twist at the end that I appreciated.

October 6

20. The Mummy's Curse - I wasn't expecting much from this film but was pleasantly surprised. No, it doesn't deserve to be listed as a horror classic or anything, but I thought it was an all right movie. I will certainly be watching far worse films in this challenge.

21. Frankenstein (2004) - I actually had high hopes for this one. I noticed it listed on my DVR guide. I'm a big fan of Parker Posey and saw that she was in it. I thought this could be a really fun update. Turns out, not so much. Apparently, this was supposed to be a TV show but it wasn't picked up. So USA Network decided to release it as an original movie. Basically, it's just boring. Not much going on here at all, and it's true purpose (as a TV pilot) becomes very clear by the end. Oh, yes, the end. I finally started to get a little bit into the movie as it concluded, and then it just finishes abruptly. As a TV pilot? Effective, I might have tuned in for the next episode. As a movie? Really, really annoying.

22. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait - To be honest, this documentary is pretty boring. It's not the fault of the participants. There is actually some good anecdotes from some of the actors. The problem is that they don't have many participants and there is very little editing. The talked heads will go on and on at length. And there's very little intercutting between the people. For Chainsaw fans, it's worth at least a viewing, especially because the runtime isn't too long.

23. Zombieland - I watched this at our area drive-through. I had never been to a drive-through before! It was pretty fun - the experience and the movie. It was great to be able to bring outside food into a film screening. Plus, it was great to be able to do what I wanted in my car (yes, I had a couple of cigarettes) and control the volume, although my car stereo was probably not the most ideal. The movie was really good, though. I wouldn't say it's very scary, but it has a lot of action and is pretty funny. Definite good time!

October 7

24. His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th - A pretty good documentary, though short of being great. There's quite a bit of information here, but it just goes by so quick. I guess that can be considered a positive or a negative. For me, although I know this was a stand-alone release, it always felt like a very long DVD extra, like the filmmakers never took the film seriously enough to make it anything beyond that. It's definitely worth a watch, though.

25. The Nanny - A very unexpected treat! This was a really good film. I watched it for the 31 days subset, and I wrote quite a bit about this film there. Anyway, Bette Davis really brought a lot to this film. Don't expect another bat-shit crazy Whatever Happened to Baby performance here. This performance really has a lot of depth and she pulls it off beautifully. Hard to picture anyone else pulling it off. A very creepy film, indeed, and one of the highlights of the challenge for me so far. Definitely recommended!

October 8

26. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) - I certainly respect Lon Chaney's accomplishments here, but the movie by and large was pretty dull for great stretches. It has its moments, and those are usually belonged to Chaney. It's definitely worth viewing for a historical perspective and in now way can be considered a bad movie.

27. Revenge of the Living Dead Girls - This one, however, can be considered a bad movie. Truly, truly awful, and not even in a fun way. I mainly watched this for the optional checklist. I wish I had watched something else instead. Unless you really want to get a glimpse of zombie lesbian sex, don't check this out! Oh, wait. I just realized that might get some people to check this one out. Forget the last thing I said, and just skip this one!

28. Blood Feast - Is this a bad movie? Yes, it is. Do I still like this movie? Yes, I must confess that I do, and I like most of Herschell Gordon Lewis' horror films, too. They aren't great movies, but that's part of the charm. They are fun to laugh at and then gawk at when they get really gory. I've noticed that his films great better the more you watch them. The first time, they seem very slow and boring. Subsequent viewings make you just "enjoy" what you are given.

October 9

29. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - The greatest zombie movie ever? I find it so hard to declare a winner between this one and Romero's Dawn of the Dead. I love the gonzo gore and scope of Dawn, but there's so much too appreciate in the claustrophobia of Romero's first zombie movie. A classic for a reason.

30. Blood for Dracula - Not my first time watching this. I remember not being very impressed with this film the first time I watched it. I must admit that I liked it a lot more the second time watching it. It's pretty campy and absurd, but it can be fun. And actually, there are definitely some ideas there, especially in regard to class. I really love the poster I found for this one!

31. The Signal - This was my choice for the 31 days subset, so I wrote a lot more about this film in that thread. Needless to say, since it was my choice, I obviously liked it. Pretty scary and then pretty funny. It's one of my favorite horror movies in recent years, though I'll admit it may not be for all tastes. It was definitely for mine, though, and the Blu-ray has some great extras.

32. Night of the Living Dead (1990) - I know this remake has its fans, but I'm not really one of them. It just feels like too much of a rehash for me. We've since this all before, for the most part, but done more effectively than the original. If you really like zombie flicks, I would say you'll most likely like it to some extent, but it's not up to the standards of the original.

33. Death Bed: The Bed That Eats - This film was just nutty. It's hard to believe that someone would devote so much time for a film like this. And desptie the fact that the guy was the writer and director, it's like no one really had the heart to remind him that's he's making a film called Death Bed: The Bed That Eats! Everything -- just about -- is taken SO seriously, even though it's all just so ridiculous. This movie must be seen to be believed, and it ideally should be seen with friends so you can riff on it while you watch, like I was able to do.

October 10

34. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Werewolf - I think I watched this last year for the challenge as well. The difference was last year I watched it on Google Video and this year I own it on DVD. Needless to say, it was much better being able to watch it on a nice looking DVD rather than a crappy compressed online version.

35. Return of the Fly - Confession time, I pretty much only watched this for the optional checklist. That being said, it's not a bad follow-up to the original film. It was shot in B&W to cut costs, but I think it worked for the film. Not bad, but not great.

36. Baby Blues - I have mixed feeling on this movie. It was definitely effective, but sometimes I think it took the easy way out. I wrote some about this in the 31 days thread. Basically, I think it might be a bit easy to put little kids in peril and make the audience feel frightened for them. You might as well make a film about hunting puppies. But like I said, it is pretty effective, although it feel it falls into slasher mode way too quickly, which really hurts the film, in my opinion.

October 11

37. Psycho II - As a big fan of Hitchcock and the original, I've always avoided this one. It was a selection for the 31 days subset, however, so I decided to give it a try. It actually wasn't too bad. It was a much different film than what I was expecting, something that seemed to take it out of run-of-the-mill slasher film realm. Perkins was effective once again.

38. Scrapbook - Watched this for the optional checklist as a NC-17 film after seeing it was streaming on Netflix. I don't quite know how I feel about this film. It's one of the nastier, crueler flicks I've seen. It reminded me a bit of the second Guinea Pig film that I watched last year. That may not be completely fair to this movie, although both basically have a guy torturing a woman for much of the duration. While Guinea Pig featured chopping up and dismemberment, Scrapbook is more about how this guy sexually abuses and humiliates this kidnapped woman over time. At times, especially toward the end, it seemed to be wanting to more seriously explore the psychological implications of this arrangement. It doesn't really succeed, but I give it point for trying. Of course, you have to get past graphic rape scenes, urination and humiliation to get to that. This was a zero-budget affair here, and I give the people credit for making a film that will elicit a reaction, although I wouldn't call it a good film at all.

39. Trick 'r Treat - There was a lot of hype around this one, and I'm happy to say that it pretty much lived up to it in my eyes. Pretty solid horror anthology film. Entertaining and at times even suspenseful. Hard to believe the studio never released this film into theaters, especially considering some of the crap horror movies that find releases.

October 12

40. The Omen II - This really felt like a sub-par rehash of the original, with an older Damien and William Holden as the new adopted dad, the brother of Gregory Peck's character from the original. I think there's definitely some territory worth exploring here, but instead, it just follows too closely the beats of the original. And as a big Holden fan, I'm surprised to say that he couldn't bring the weight to his part that Peck was able to bring. Better to stick to the first one.

41. The Omen III - Once again, I thought there was some potential, but it just didn't live up to it. I would have preferred to see a film that was more about the grown-up Damien in conflict with his role as the Anti-Christ. That's not this movie, with Damien fully embracing his place. Sam Neil was pretty good, but he just didn't have good enough material around him. The ending made me groan a bit. It got a little bit too preachy for me.

42. Laid to Rest - Very above-average slasher film! I'm a fan of the slasher film, so it's always nice to find a lesser known gem. The kills were violent and very, very gory. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the greatest slasher ever, but it's a lot of fun. And it's definitely worth seeing for slasher fans. The killer is pretty bad-ass looking and did I mention the gore? There's quite a bit of it. I'm actually surprised that it got by with an R, considering some of the "unrated" films that I've seen. I guess you don't get as much attention when you aren't a big-budget studio film, which just shows how screwed the MPAA is.

43. The Deep - Maybe more of a thriller, but IMDB classifies it as horror. Decent thriller, there were definitely some creepy scenes. I did like a lot of the underwater photography. Those scenes were pretty effective. It's scary to think about something gong wrong while scuba diving. You're just so weak and exposed under the water. The ending was pretty cheese filled, though.

October 13

44. The Howling 2 - Wow, I'm not sure if I can recall a sequel to a movie falling so low past the first one. I guess Exorcist springs to mind. This was unbelievably bad, but at least it provided some unintentional laughs ... and Christopher Lee.

45. One-Eyed Monster - This is one of those movies I never would have watched had it not been for this challenge (not saying that's a good thing). I saw this showing up on my guide a bunch (on Showtime, I think) and finally decided to give it a try because I thought it could be campy fan and had Amber Benson in it. Yep, Tara from Buffy! Anyway, the story is silly but must be recounted: a film crew goes to a remote mountain to make a porn film, where an alien take possession of Ron Jeremy's penis and begins to kill the crew. Believe it or not, this was actually pretty light on the nudity, considering the subject matter. But it still can't change the fact that watching Ron Jeremy's disembodied penis strangle people is weird. Very weird.

October 14

46. Troll 2 - Wow. Just wow. I'm not sure words can fully describe just how utterly bad this movie is. I probably wrote a bit more on this in the daily thread, but I'll just say a couple things now. As a kid, I loved Troll, but this has nothing to do with that. And if you have a movie called Troll 2, shouldn't you at least call the bad guys trolls, rather than goblins? And if the goblins are vegetarians, why do they have to turn people into vegetables to have food? Just eat veggies! Must be seen to be believed! Should be watched with lots of friends for riffing! Not necessary to watch it in HD like I did. That didn't do the movie any favors.

October 15

47. Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up - Eh. I wasn't a big fan of this one when it first aired, not too big of a fan now. And what was Michael Moriarty doing in this film? I'm usually a fan of his performances, but this one just didn't make any sense to me. Way too forced. This isn't the worst of the series, though.

48. Masters of Horror: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road - I know a lot of people don't like this entry, but I enjoyed it then and still do now. This was the first episode of MOH that was aired and it hooked me. I figured there would be a lot more eps this good. Turns out there weren't. I think the flashbacks drag the story down a bit, but they have a purpose. Overall, it remains one of the MOH eps I enjoyed the most.

50. Reeker - Once again, a synopsis that made me imagine a campy, fun movie. Once again, that's not what I got. Recorded this one from Universal HD. It described it as a smelly creature that terrorizes these people. And then look at the title of the film, I was expecting a garbage monster or something. Nope. Pretty forgettable. The twist at the end made the film make more sense, but still not a very good movie.

October 16

51. Masters of Horror: Sick Girl - Disappointing. I really liked May and thought Angela Bettis was great in it. A reunion between Bettis and May's director should be a knockout. It's not. Like Moriarty in his ep, Bettis just seems so forced and contrived in her role. The ep had a lot of issues.

52. Masters of Horror: Deer Woman - Is this a great MOH entry? No, I wouldn't go that far, but I had fun with it. There were a coming of moments that had me laughing out loud. A couple of performances, though, were pretty poor, particularly the police officer who was helping Brian Benben's character out.

October 17

53. Friday the 13th Pt. 3 3D - I heard a lot of disparaging things about the 3D quality on this. I actually thought it was pretty darn good. It's not like at a theater where you might flinch at a knife flying at you, but I could definitely get a three-dimensional feel. It helps the 3D a lot if you turn out all the lights. The only drawback was that I forgot how taxing old-fashioned 3D can be on the eyes. What a strain! The movie is one of the more solid Friday sequels, but it's curiously rather bloodless. More gore please!

54. The Girl Next Door - I know wrote about this in the daily thread. This isn't a bad movie, but I don't think it's as great as many others think. Some of the kids' performances were pretty weak, and I felt some of the embellishments on the true story this was based on were unnecessary and were only there for shock value. This could have been a much better and deeper film than what it is. And the more I think about it, the more shallow I think this film is.

55. Rocky Horror Picture Show - Hadn't watched this movie in a while, so decided to give it a spin for my musical requirement. Since I already know this movie so well, I decided to listen to it with the audience participation commentary. I've only seen this movie live once, and it was several years ago. The commentary was pretty good, but it would have been nice to find a better balance between the volume of the commentary and the film.

56. The Fog - I consider myself a big Carpenter fan, and yet there are some Carpenter films that I've strangely never seen. This was one of them. How could I have missed this all these years?! Beautiful film, very atmospheric. It looked great in HD. This film deserves a good Blu-ray release. One of the highlights of the challenge for me thus far.

57. Friday the 13th (2009) - I know this remake hasn't gotten much love, but I'll take a slightly contrary point of view. I'm not saying it was good; I'm just saying I don't think it compares badly to the other films. Let's be honest, none of the F13th films were really what you would call "good" films. Most of them were pretty bad actually, but they are still fun watches. For the most part, that's how I felt about this one. I wasn't expecting much so I just sat back and watched the mayhem. I found this to be far less objectionable remake than Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but maybe it's because I see Chainsaw as more sacred and Jason more disposable. Just toss the hockey mask on a big hulking guy, kills a bunch of young people and you've got a new Friday! To reiterate, the new Friday wasn't good, but I still had a degree of fun with it.

58. Tetsuo: The Iron Man - I watched this before many years ago. It made little sense to me then, especially after reading the exceptionally simple synopsis provided when I rented it from Nicheflix (remember them? Man, I miss that service). So, I decided to watch it again for my J-Horror film. Still didn't make a lot of sense, but I do feel like I understand it a bit more. Very strange movie in the Lynch or Cronenberg vein.

59. Dead Alive - I watched this with a couple of friends. One of them is a big zombie fan and he had never seen it. He was blown away by it. Such a fun and gory film! This movie certainly must be in any discussion for the goriest film of all time.

60. The Host - Been meaning to watch this for a long time and finally got to it. Pretty good movie. I expected the creature to be bigger. Really, I was picturing more of a Godzilla movie. Big monster! Still, it was a very solid movie.

October 18

61. War of the Worlds (1953) - I really thought I had seen this movie before years ago, but much of it just didn't seem familiar to me. Maybe I had seen it before and just forgot much of it. Anyway, I think this movie holds up surprisingly well. No, it doesn't have the special effects that the new version has, but I think the story is solid and the effects were certainly good for their time. Definitely a sci-fi classic!

62. Alligator - I expected a bad Jaws rip-off. I got a Jaws rip-off, but it actually wasn't that bad. In fact, it was pretty fun. This was an early screenplay credit for John Sayles. I know, hard to believe! Robert Forster is also fun to watch. The movie does get a little bit goofy at times, but this was actually a pretty solid flick.

63. Paranormal Activity - Does it live up to the hype? Yes and no. Yes, in the fact that it was a very good movie and had lots of people screaming in the theater I was at. No, in that I sort of felt like I needed a bit more from the film. I don't know. I will say that it's the type of movie that I find myself liking more the longer it has been since I've seen it. I think people -- including myself -- just need to accept what the movie is rather than pick at what it's not. It has gotten a lot of comparisons to Blair Witch because of its style, but I actually think this movie is probably better.

64. Deranged - Yep, another movie based on the life of the infamous Ed Gein. This one was much more grounded in reality than a film like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, though. It felt it was genuinely creepy and overall a good movie. It was very weird how the movie would insert the narrator into scenes, though. Very distracting and actually rather comical, which I don't think was the intended purpose. Oh, it should also be noted that like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this movie features a very memorable dinner scene.

65. Hatchet for the Honeymoon - I was pretty well blown away by a Bava film last challenge (Blood and Black Lace), so I wanted to catch another one for this challenge. Not nearly on the same level as Blood and Black Lace, but this was still a very entertaining film. And there's no doubt about it, Bava certainly knew how to shoot a movie!

66. The Simpsons Halloween Special XXWILDCARD #4 - I guess this wasn't too bad, although we've certainly seen far better Halloween episodes from The Simpsons. I certainly appreciated the Hitchcock inspired sequence.

67. Freaks (with audio commentary) - You can enjoy this movie on so many levels. For me, I find it fascinating to see natural moments with the "freaks." Like when the guy without any arms and legs lights himself a cigarette. The commentary track was very informative, but it almost throws too much at you at once. A ton of information is packed into the track: about the film, the "freaks," Browning's career before the movie and after.

October 19

68. Audrey Rose - This one was OK. Very good performances, especially from Marsha Mason. Anthony Hopkins was very good as well, and I think the daughter was very good. This isn't one I would call scary, though. There was a point toward the end when things started to get more intense, but then the film is basically over.

69. Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires - Hammer Studios meets Shaw Bros. ... and geeks everywhere drool. What can I say? This movie was just a ton of fun! It seems like such an odd mash-up, but it totally works. Disappointed in the non-anamorphic R1 release, so I might have to import this one.

70. Fists in the Pocket - I wasn't sure what to expect from this. I had a former co-worker watch this and he hated it. Hated it. I thought it sounded interesting so I rented it from Netflix. I really, really liked it. It's very subtle horror, more creepy/disturbing than scary. And don't go expecting the stereotypical Italian horror film. This is more New Wave style Italian horror. The lead performance is particularly strong, and some scenes I found particularly unsettling. It's a bit of a slow burn, but this is another highlight of the challenge for me.

October 20

71. The Legend of Hell House - Pretty solid haunted house movie. The way movies are rated now, it's hard to believe this was given a PG, not to say that it's unbelievably graphic or anything like that, but I think it's adult enough to not warrant a PG. Overall, I liked it, but I never really felt like the characters had much depth. I thought the movie looked pretty great, though.

72. BloodRayne - Wow. I don't know what else to really add. I've always heard how bad this movie was, but I just had no idea. This was just an embarrassment. Damn video game requirement on the optional checklist! To reflect my feelings on the movie, I found the ugliest art for it that I could. Believe it or not, this awful one that I used is the actual cover art for the UK DVD.

October 21

73. Warlock - I really thought that I had seen this already when I was a kid. And I might well have, but once I started watching, it didn't seem all that familiar. Maybe it was one of the sequels I had seen already. Not a bad action-horror type of film. Julian Sands and Richard E. Grant keep things interesting by hamming it up.

74. The Beast of Hollow Mountain - Someone earlier in the competition was asking about horror Westerns. This one would certainly qualify. The beginning of the movie feels like a typical Western: dealing with cattle, worrying about rustlers. And then it takes a slight detour when the cowboys are forced to battle a dinosaur. Yes, a dinosaur. I can't believe all Westerns don't have a dinosaur. Overall, the movie was a bit silly, especially the dinosaur effect. But it was fun in that '50s cheesy monster way.

October 22

75. Captivity - I brought this up in the main discussion thread: how could a 2-time Oscar nominee for director go on to helm this garbage. This movie was just a bad Saw rip-off. Fans of TV show 24 might get some momentary enjoyment seeing Kim Bauer get tortured. It won't last. Don't waste your time. Oh, this movie is probably best known for its controversial billboards that had to be pulled.

76. The Last Man on Earth - Very good movie. I think it's the best of the 3 versions of this story (this one, I Am Legend and Omega Man). Vincent Price was effective as always, but what I was most impressed with was the feeling of the movie. I really felt the desolation and desperation more in this film.

October 23

77. Black Sabbath - This was my second time watching this after last year. I recorded it off MGM-HD, and it looked great. I really wish a definitive Blu-ray would be released of this. I hear the Italian version doesn't use Karloff's voice in his segment. That sounds like a damn shame. But Mario Bava really does a great job directing here.

78. Hollow Man 2 - I wasn't a big fan of the original, but I needed an "Invisible Man" movie for the checklist and this was streaming on Netflix. I don't think this one was *that* much worse than the original, but it had more than its share of ridiculousness. You know you're in trouble when you replace Kevin Bacon with Christian Slater.

79. Filthy McNasty - I decided to give director Chris Seaver another try after my spectacularly painful experience watching Mulva: Zombie Ass Kicker last year. It's still a bad movie, but it was more entertaining than Mulva and actually made me snicker a couple of times.

80. Filthy McNastier - Netflix had all of these films streaming, so I decided to just go on to the next one. To be honest, at times this felt more like a remake than a sequel. But overall, I thought this was slightly better than the previous.

81. Filthy McNastiest - Finally, the conclusion of my mini-Seaver marathon. It's a good thing these movies are so short; otherwise, I doubt I would have gotten through all 3. They switched things up a little bit in this one. Some of the changes I liked, some not so much. If you can put up with the first two, though, you'll probably enjoy this one. For bad movie connoisseurs only!

82. Ravenous - This helped cleanse my palate after those little 3 films. Been meaning to watch this one for a long time but never got around to it. This is definitely a good movie, but I think the first half is far better than the second. I preferred when I felt like the movie was more based in reality rather than when it went into more over-the-top and supernatural territory.

October 24

83. End of the Line - There was definitely some stuff to like in this movie (the opening) and some things to hate (the acting). I appreciate the inclusion of this movie in the 31 days subset because I doubt I would have ever seen this otherwise. Overall, I'm a bit mixed on this one. I wouldn't say I didn't like it, but I definitely was crazy about it either. It's worth a watch.

84. Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn - Oh, that Ash! He's always getting his kooky chin into trouble! I wish I knew how many times I have seen this movie. It must be a ridiculous number. I remember renting it on VHS so many times back in junior high and early high school. It's one of the few movies that I don't think has really aged in my perception of it. I still love it!

85. Alien (audio commentary) - I couldn't remember whether I had listened to this commentary before or not. I'm still not entirely sure! But anyway, this is a really good commentary with Ridley Scott, much of the cast and screenwriter. It's definitely recommended for fans of the film.

86. Skinwalkers - This movie started pretty cheesy, then started getting me into it and then just sort of collapsed in cliches. Jason Behr as the big bad ass werewolf? Not the most effective casting. I would only really recommend this to someone who really loves werewolf movies.

87. eXistenZ - I love Cronenberg, and yet this movie has somehow always gone unwatched by me. It's definitely very Cronenberg. I appreciate a lot of the ideas in this movie. Like most of Cronenberg's films, it's hard to imagine anyone else making a movie like this. Watching it years after the movie was made, it's surprising to me how plausible the central concept of the movie is. We might well be heading toward living more and more in a video game world. I refuse to plug any weird things into my body, though!

88. White Zombie - I watched this for the challenge last year and was very underwhelmed by this classic. I decided to give it another shot this year and was pleasantly surprised to learn I liked it far more. Maybe it was my mood last time I watched it ... I don't know. I find it more likely that my expectations were too high going into the first viewing. Great movie!

89. Manos: Hands of Fate - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - I had a friend come over to watch this with me. It was her first-time watching it, my second. Absolutely hysterical! It's easy to see why this is often considered the best MST3K ep. The ep is just filled with off-the-wall goodness and hilarity. I say the ep is filled with those things because you definitely won't find any goodness in the movie the guys are riffing. Highly recommended!

October 25

90. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - There are things I'm not crazy about in this remake and I still prefer the original, but I have to admit that this isn't a bad movie. I thought it was a total travesty when I found it Dawn was getting a remake, but it stayed true to the original and still managed to be its own movie.

91. Child's Play 2 - Damn optional checklist again! I needed a killer doll movie and this was streaming on Netflix. As I said last year, I'm not a big fan of this movie, but I think I did like it a bit more than last year. The climax at the factory is definitely the highlight.

92. Crawlspace (1986) - I much prefer this poster that I found for another movie with the same title. Turns out it's for a different movie called Crawlspace, and this movie got some pretty crappy art. The main reason I decided to record and watch this was Klaus Kinski, and he certainly didn't disappoint. Kinski was always been such an odd character, and he was able to use all that to create a really creepy character. I thought this movie was far better than the 4.6 it currently has on IMDB. It's definitely worth a viewing.

October 26

93. The Sixth Sense (RiffTrax) - I always wondered what it would be like to watch a Rifftrax for a good movie. I decided to try it with this one because I own it on DVD and it's a movie that hasn't necessarily aged all that well with me. The Rifftrax was really funny! I had some difficulties getting things property synched, but I thought the guys delivered a great riff.

94. Prince of Darkness - Another Carpenter film that I got to see for the first time. I know this is a very divisive title, but I really liked it. It's definitely a slow burn, but I think it's interesting. It's certainly one of those movies that made me want to see it again. It's not often I can say I think a lot of the ideas and concepts being explored in a horror movie went over my head, but that's a bit how I felt. I think I just wasn't in the mood for heavy thinking. I definitely need to watch it another time.

October 27

95. Bug - I know a lot of people who have seen this movie, and they either seem to love it or hate it, which makes it weird that I'm a bit in the middle. It's nice to see Ashley Judd doing some real acting again. I remember she showed a lot of depth early in her career before she decided to just star in a string of dumb thrillers. I feel like there's something missing here in this film, like there's a step in the characters' descent that we missed. It just all seems to go downhill for these characters so fast. And as the movie went along and their craziness increased, so did the over-the-top style in the acting. By the end, I think it was probably a bit too much. And speaking of the end, I feel it was a bit too abrupt. It would have been nice to have a little room to breathe. But it's good to see that Friedkin still can make a movie. Some of his '70s output is among my absolute favorites.

96. The Company of Wolves - A very, very interesting film. Neil Jordan can be a bit streaky, but when he makes a good film, it's usually a really good one. I think this one is no exception. It's not an easy film to watch; there are many layers to it: dreams upon dreams and stories within those dreams. But the look of the film is really something. Jordan does a great job crafting a fairy tale world and one where is beauty and great menace. This is one that has stayed with me in the days since I first saw it, and I would like to revisit it again. Oh, Angela Lansbury is a big standout in this film, as always.

October 28

97. Wolfen - Another wolf movie. I thought this one was pretty good. It certainly has a standout cast. This didn't provide me the level of enjoyment of The Company of Wolves, but they are far different movies. I liked the wolf POV shots as they would hunt, although I think it might have been overused.

98. The Devil-Doll - What an odd and wonderful little movie. The story in this Tod Browning directed film is just a bit off the wall. Lionel Barrymore plays an escaped convict who uses miniaturized humans to get revenge on those who framed him. All the while he's doing this, he's disguised as an old woman. The effects are actually pretty effective, and Barrymore is awfully good. I couldn't find a DVD release of this, so I'm happy I saved the recording from Turner Classic Movies on my DVR. Like I said, it's a bit odd, but it's also suspenseful and will draw you into its story. Very recommended.

99. The Mist - I'm surprised it took me so long to watch this. Here's the thing: a very close friend whose taste in movies I usually respect saw this movie and told me she hated it. HATED IT. That was enough to knock it down a bit in terms of must-see films, but I kept hearing great word of mouth on here about the movie. I decided to record it when I saw it was airing on Showtime and really enjoyed it. Great cast, great atmosphere and a powerful ending. What's funny is that after I recorded it but before I had a chance to watch it, my friend was visiting and happened to mention that she had rewatched the movie and realizes she was wrong in her earlier assessment and now really likes it.

100. The House of the Devil - This movie is a slow burn type, but I think people, especially '80s horror fans, will enjoy it. It was great to see Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov together in a movie. It really felt like this could be a lost artifact from the '80s -- and that includes all the positives and negatives that go with that. But I'd much, much rather watch this than House of 1000 Corpses. Just be patient, enjoy the tense atmosphere and wait for things to go crazy toward the end.

October 29

101. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - I really thought that I had seen this one as a kid, but once I really started watching it, I knew that I hadn't (probably the later version I'm thinking of). Really great, tense movie. It's nice to have a very capable director and a very strong cast as well. The paranoia was so strong in this one, and I think the ending is both chilling and effective. Oh, that "dog" really freaked me out!

102. Final Destination - I had watched this years ago at a friend's house, but there were a bunch of us there, we weren't entirely sober and weren't entirely paying attention to the movie. So, I decided to give it a full solo viewing. It's a bit like a fun roller coaster ride. Just sit back and wait for the big moments in the ride. Is this a great film? No, but at least it's a fun one. I haven't seen any of the sequels, but I might check them out now.

103. TerrorVision - I thought this sounded mildly amusing when I noticed it was showing on Turner Classics, so I decided to record it. It was amusing in a bad '80s movie sort of way. The monster looked pretty bad, but the movie didn't take itself too seriously, which was a good thing. There are some funny bits, but I started to feel like the movie really had nowhere to go.

104. Black Moon - It was interesting seeing Fay Wray with dark hair; I had only ever seen her as a blonde. This was a pretty decent movie. I might be more forgiving of it because voodoo has always creeped me out. I thought there were some good sequences and a lot of atmosphere. But if you're looking for a good Fay Wray horror/thriller, stick with King Kong or The Most Dangerous Game.

October 30

105. Son of Kong - I'm not sure if I would consider this horror, but IMDB puts it there so there you go. I wasn't expecting much from this movie, and I guess I wasn't disappointed in that respect. The effects are no where near as good as the first movie. It's very obvious this was a rush job without as big of a budget. But the movie could have overcome some of those limitations if it hadn't become such a cartoon. Part of what was great about the first movie is that you actually believed King Kong as an ape. The son of Kong was more of a cartoon, with very distracting, over-the-top reaction shots and sound effects. The movie is mercifully short, though, so if you're curious about it, you might as well give it a spin.

106. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead - I wouldn't really consider myself a Troma fan, but I have to admit that this movie was a lot of fun. If you're easily offended by jokes about shit and related bodily functions, this movie probably isn't for you. There are some really good lines in the films, and some of the songs (yes, it's a musical!) are really amusing. I've heard a lot of people say that this is Troma's best and I'm not sure if I could argue with that based on the Troma films I've seen. Fun stuff.

October 31

107. Parks and Recreation - "Greg Pikitis"WILDCARD #5 - This was one of my favorite episodes of Parks and Recreation. I loved that Leslie has a 13-year-old nemesis. The Halloween party was great fun, too. You had the best of Halloween with the different storylines in this movie: pranks/mischeif and costumes/parties. And it was funny to top it off! For those who didn't stick with the show after the first season, it's now much improved.

108. Attack of the Giant Leeches - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Because of DeepDiscount sending me the wrong thing in the original shipment, this barely arrived on Halloween, just in time for me to use this episode to complete the optional checklist. The movie was awfully; the effects were especially cheesy. As you would expect, the guys had a lot of fun riffing on the movie. A really good episode, though not the best of the series or anything like that.

109. Altered States - Wow. This movie was certainly a mind fuck -- for the viewer and the characters. I know Ken Russell is a very respected director, but I think this might be the first film of his that I've seen. This one had a very Cronenberg vibe to me, and I mean that in a good way. It's definitely one a thinking man's horror film and one that I would really like to sit down and watch again. There needs to be a Blu-ray release; it would look great. Definitely one of the standouts of the challenge for me.

110. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie BrownWILDCARD #6 - It took a horror movie challenge to get me to start watching this again after so many years. I watched this on Halloween last year as well, so I figure this will turn into an annual tradition. I hear people make criticisms of current kids type programming about how the youngsters don't speak like real young people do. And the Peanuts characters do? This shows that child characters can say things that children wouldn't ever normally say and have it work. You don't have to dumb things down just because it's family programming.

111. Demonia - I've never been much of a Fulci fan, but I think it's an acquired taste, one which I think I'm finally acquiring. This wasn't the best Fulci film I've ever seen, but I liked it. I thought he was able to create a great atmosphere and there were some pretty cool killings. Isn't that all you really ask for from a Fulci movie?

112. The Burning - I'm a big slasher fan, yet somehow I had never seen this one. I was lucky enough to notice that MGM-HD was airing this early the morning of Halloween. I was very impressed with the movie. It moves high up on my list of '80s slashers. The killings were good, the direction was surprisingly good and the acting was much better than average. Watch for Jason Alexander and Fisher Stevens in early roles. I would love to see this one get a good Blu-ray release, but I suppose I might just have to break down and buy the DVD.

113. Halloween II - Another one that I can't believe I hadn't seen before. I bought it and intended to watch this as a double feature with the first one at Halloween last year, but I fell asleep before getting to it. This year, I made sure I watched it. This one certainly doesn't have the subtlety of the first, and that can be counted as a positive and a negative. The killings were more brutal and more varied than in the first, but it was from the quality of the first. That having been said, I thought this was a pretty damn effective sequel and probably my second favorite of the series.

114. Axe - This is a really short movie, just over an hour. I had watched about half of it earlier in the month on my laptop when the power went out at my house, so I figured I should finish it up. I watched it for the challenge last year as well. I actually liked it much more with this second viewing. You know what to expect and aren't thinking so much about the lulls before the action really begins. Not bad for a low budget horror film.

115. Let the Right One In - The final film of the challenge. I've been meaning to watch this one for a while now; I've basically owned the Blu-ray since it came out. I'm not sure if it completely lived up to all they hype, not sure if it would even be possible, but it was certainly a very good movie. I think I was just expecting something slightly different from it: more violent or more disturbing. Of course, part of that might also have to do with this being the last film of the challenge for me and me being pretty exhausted. It was an excellent film, though. So naturally, we're already getting an American remake. I'm sure we'll lose much of the subtlety of the original. This film also had perhaps my favorite visual sequence from the challenge, toward the end in the pool. Definitely another one I will need to revisit.

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-x- First language, German, Vampyr
-x- Second language, Korean, The Host
-3- Japanese, Tetsuo: The Iron Man
-4- Italian, Fists in the Pocket
-5- Swedish, Let the Right One In

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-x- Vampire - Vampyr
-x- Frankenstein - Frankenstein (1910)
-x- Werewolf - The Howling 2
-x- Mummy - The Mummy's Curse
-x- Invisible Man - Hollow Man 2
-x- Ghost/haunting - Poltergeist
-x- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - The Omen
-x- Zombie - Zombieland
-x- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon
-x- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - The Host
-x- Documentary - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait
-x- Musical - Rocky Horror Picture Show
-x- Spoof/comedy - Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
-x- Revenge - The Fog
-x- Killer/evil doll - Child's Play 2
-x- Killer/evil animal - Alligator
-x- Killer/evil child - The Omen
-x- Giallo - Hatchet for the Honeymoon
-x- J horror - Tetsuo: The Iron Man
-x- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - Laserblast
-x- film and its remake - Night of the Living Dead
-x- based on a video game - BloodRayne
-x- based on a novel - The Deep
-x- directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis or Uwe Boll or Ulli Lommel - Blood Feast
-x- won an Academy Award -- any category - The Omen
-x- silent film - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
-x- Criterion version film - Fists in the Pocket
-x- with commentary - Freaks
-x- film and at least two of its sequels - The Omen I-III
-x- anthology film - Trick 'r Treat
-x- takes place on a holiday - Trick 'r Treat
-x- takes place in space - Alien
-x- takes place on or under the sea - The Deep
-x- animated film - The Simpsons Halloween Special XX
-x- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Living Dead
-x- called "Return of ..." - Return of the Fly
-x- called "Revenge of ..." - Revenge of the Living Dead Girls
-x- called "Attack of ..." - Attack of the Giant Leeches - Mystery Science Theater 3000
-x- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - Revenge of the Living Dead Girls

(One film could fill multiple items. Example: Dracula would fill one for decade, rating, actor, vampire, based on novel, and maybe others as well.)
(Use a * to mark first time viewings.)
(Change "---" to "-X-" or some similar mark when you have completed that line item.)

Final Thoughts

Spoiler:

I felt like I should collect my thoughts a bit now that the challenge is over. I didn't do that last time but thought it would be nice to look back on later. Last year, I barely reached 100. By Halloween, I was completely burned. This year, I was surprised that I consistently stayed above last year's pace despite having 2 weddings to attend, cutting into a lot of viewing time.

The MVP of the challenge was DirecTV. Last year at this time, I was still using Time Warner Cable. Direct has so many more HD channels and the DVR hard drive is so much bigger than the one TWC gave me. That meant I was able to spend more time recording movies and watching them, rather than watching my TV shows to keep some space open on the DVR. While last year I borrowed a bunch of horror movies from a friend (and had to watch every single one of them), this year I pretty much always had movies that I had at least a bit of interest in. I guess part of that is just luck as well. I was able to record some films that I've wanted to watch for a long time in HD.

You can't argue with numbers, and the numbers for this year certainly point to the value of my DVR. I watched 37 titles on my DVR this year compared to only 11 last year. Now that's a big difference! And I guess that's probably what helped me beat last year's total by 15. I also had a much higher number of unenjoyable stinkers (because I do love bad movies) last year. Overall, the quality was just higher. Even the bad movies I watched were usually gloriously bad (Troll 2, Death Bed). I should also mention that it was interesting to see the emergence of my Blu-ray collection as well. I watched 19 titles on Blu-ray this year, only 8 last year.

John Carpenter loomed large over this challenge for me, providing a couple of my challenge highlights. It was the first time for me to see The Fog and Prince of Darkness. Both were exercises of exquisite atmosphere. My first reaction would be to say I preferred The Fog, but Prince of Darkness has left me wanting to watch it again.

Other challenge highlights:

The Burning - now probably one of my favorite '80s slashers; great kills and surprisingly well filmed

Fists in the Pocket - a creepy, slow-burn of a film that isn't your traditional horror film, certainly not what most think of as an Italian horror film

Altered States - a real mind trip, one I must watch again; this badly needs a Blu-ray release

Let the Right One in - maybe didn't live up to all the hype but still a highlight and provided one of my favorite visual moments of the challenge

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - can't believe I hadn't seen this before, wonderful paranoia and some creepy images

The Company of Wolves - exquisitely filmed and dreamlike; much of the imagery has really stuck in my head

The Nanny - brilliant Bette Davis performance helped make this one of my favorites from the challenge

Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires - kung fu and vampires is a really inspired combination, this one was just really fun to watch

Biggest Surprises:

Laid to Rest - very above average slasher with great gore, I wasn't expecting it to be as enjoyable as it was

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - not perfect, but frequently funny and a great concept

The Devil-Doll - truly odd and bizarre Tod Browning offering that made me want to see more of his films

Last Man on Earth - without a doubt the best version of this story that I've seen

Like last year, I tried to focus on first-time viewings. I did get a bunch of those in, and because I tried to participate in the daily subset this year, I watched many films I never would have. Next year, I might bow out of the daily subset to focus on the classic Universal and Hammer Studios films that I haven't seen. We'll see.

So, I think that should about wrap things up. This challenge was even more enjoyable than my first one last year, and I'm having a hard time not putting in more horror films right now. I would love to really shoot for 200 next year, but I know that's completely unrealistic unless I take some vacation time. Hmm, ideas ...

October 1
1) Child's Play (1988) (Blu-ray) - It’s 1988 and hair metal is in full swing (another of my passions), Reagan is in his second term, and Child’s Play hits the theaters. In John Kenneth Muir’s book on horror films of the 1980’s, he asserts that good horror films reflect the issues of the time in which they are made. For Child’s play, it was a statement about consumerism and the 80’s fad of Cabbage Patch Kids. In this movie the “ugly” doll comes to life when a deranged killer uses voodoo to enter his body. The Doll, Chucky, wants to become human again, but the only way is to inhabit the body of the first person to learn his secret, a, 8 year old boy (Alex). Chucky is appropriately creepy (before the later sequels that became more of a parody). The voice of Chucky is expertly done by Brad Dourif, known more recently for his role as sheriff Brackett in Rob Zombie's Halloween movies. The new Blu-Ray disc looks great. It’s not reference material stuff, as the image can be a bit soft, but it’s probably as good as it will ever look considering its age. If you have never seen Child’s Play, it’s well worth your time. Movie: 5/5 Blu-Ray: 4/5

2) Child's Play 2 (1990) (DVD) - The first sequal picks up where the original left off. Opening with a good explanation of how Chucky comes back (Universal was always good ad bringing killed monsters back to life). Alex now lives in foster homes as mom has been relegated to an institution. The same actor plays Alex so it fits nicely. While not as good as the original, Child’s Play 2 is a descent flick. The final scene in the Good Guys factory is pretty good. Movie: 3/5

3) Child's Play 3 (DVD) - The events in this movie take place 8 years after the original. Alex (played by a different actor) is in Military school & the newly resurrected Chucky is still looking for him. This is easily the worse of the Chucky movies (Including Bride & Seed of Chucky). But what can you say since it was made in the mid 90’s. Movie: 2/5

October 2
4) The Blob (1988) DVD - A superior sequal to the original 1950's movie with Steve McQween. An object falls from space crashing in the woods. A pink gel attaches itself to a curious old guy (Side note: If you are in the woods and something falls from space, don't investigate. It will either want to abduct you, eat you, or inhabit you). From there the blob grows in size and appetite. This isn't your daddy's Blob either. This thing is fast. There is just the right amount of gore and action. Another great 80's horror flick. It will be interesting to see what Rob Zombie does when he remakes it next year. Movie: 5/5 DVD: 4/5

5) The Lost Boys (1987) Blu-Ray - One of two great Vampire flicks from 1987 (the other being Near dark). It has a very 80's look and feel. Interesting to see "Jack Bauer" (Kiefer Sutherland) with a blond mullet. Movie: 5/5 Blu-Ray 4/5

October 3
6) An American Werewolf in London (1981) Blu-Ray - John Landis managed to capture the tragedy of the werewolf mythos perfectly. The movie served as a template for the horror comedy. Great groundbreaking make up effects by Rick Baker.....Keep off the moors Movie: 5/5 Blu-Ray 4.5/5

7) Ginger Snaps (DVD) - As I watched this movie I kept thinking this is what Jennifer's Body was trying to accomplish but missed the mark. Witty dialog, good story, and just the right amount of dark humor. Movie: 4/5

9) Fright Night (1985, DVD) - One of the best horror films of the 1980's. If you are a fan of Hammer horror or grew up with horror hosts, you'll appreciate the nostalgia. Also a lot of sexual over tones that I never noticed before reading Muir's synopsis. This one really needs an upgrade to Blu-Ray. Movie: 5/5 Disc 3/5

10) Freddy vs. Jason (Blu-Ray) - To me this movie is a lot of fun. Like an old school Universal Monsters throw down (Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman anyone?)....I know most of the acting was bad, but you're really only tuning in to see Freddy & Jason rumble & this movies delivers the goods. Maybe I'm in the minority hoping for a rematch. Movie 4/5 Blu-Ray 4.5/5

October 4
I spent today with 3 of the best horror films from the 80's and one very descent sequal......

11) The Fly (1986, Blu-Ray) - David Cronenberg's masterpiece. His directing & Jeff Goldbloom's performance elevate this picture. The final act is as good as any in horror movie history....Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid Movie 5/5 Blu-Ray 4/5

12) The Fly 2 (1989, DVD) - A good sequal to Cronenberg's movie. Probably unfairly critisized for not being as good as the original, but come on, the original is one of the best horror movies of the 80's. I like the direction of not trying to immitate the original but going the monster movie route. Movie 4/5 DVD 4/5

13) Near Dark (1987, DVD) - The "other" great vampire movie from 1987. Starring 3 cast members from Aliens. Bill Paxson's performance is great. Great movie, but the pacing may be a little slow for the uninitiated. Uses Vampirism as a metaphor for the Aids virus. Movie 4.5/5 Disc 4/5

14) The Thing, John Carpenter's (1981, Blu-Ray) - What more can you say about this one. Enjoyable no matter how many times I've seen it. Movie 5/5 Blu-Ray 5/5

October 5
15) Maniac Cop (1988, DVD) - What happens when a cop decides to kill the "good" people. This is the premise behind this low budget flick. A top cop is sent to prison for violating the rights of criminals. Returns as the titular character to seek revenge. Bruce Campbell plays the hero. This is a good one to watch late at night. Just has that Midnight Movie feel to it. Descent flick that spawned two sequals. Movie 3.5/5 DVD 4/5

October 6
16)A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, DVD) - The movie that created another horror (and eventually pop culture) icon in Freddy Krueger. I remember when I saw this in the theater and thought it was one of the scariest movies I had ever seen (And I had seen many by then). Sure many of us know this one by heatr, but it can still be chilling if you allow yourself to be "absorbed" by the movie. It also has the distinction of being Johnny Depp's first movie.....Movie 5/5 Infinifilm DVD: 4.5/5

17) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985, DVD) - I remember being disappointed by this one when it first came out. In fact I usually skip this one, but decided it was time to re-visit. I understand my initial dislike for the movie, but now see it is not too bad, especially in the context of some of the later sequals. The problem is this film really doesn't fit into the Freddy "universe". The dream myhos is pretty muched dropped & Freddy becomes a "metaphor" (for lack of a better term) for the homoerotic battle raging within the main character. Still, the film does have good moments & Freddy is still manacing here. I dare say I like it better now. Besides, New Line eventually gave fans more of what they were expecting with the subsequent sequal.....Movie 3/5 Disc 3.5/5

October 7
Nothing today....Baseball playoffs ran late....

October 8
18) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: The Dream Warriors (1987, DVD) - What happens when you cross Freddy with MTV & hair metal? You get Dream warriors. I remember when this first came out MTV ran a special. Afterall, the soundtrack includes a couple of Dokken tunes including the title track (a personal favorite )....This probably closer to what fans were expecting from a sequal, though Freddy was turning more "campy" here. Still a descent entry in the series. Movie 3.5/5 DVD 3/5

19) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master (1988, DVD) -Freddy is in full campy mode here. Still descent quality, but not my favorite. The series biggest monie maker at the time. Movie 3/5 DVD 3/5

20) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5: The Dream Child (1989, DVD) - This is the fifth Elm Street movie in as many years. I think people were starting to take Freddy for granted by now. He even had a television show (Freddy's Nightmares). Still quality remained about the same as previous movies. This one tried to get back to a more evil Freddy, but the results were hit & miss in my opinion. There were some inconsistancies in the story/mythology which was annoying. Like many others here, I love these movies no matter what. Movie 3.5/5 DVD 3/5

October 9
21) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1990, DVD) - This one is pretty bad. Easily the worse of the series. Now I know why I haven't watched it since it first came out. Who's idea was it to turn Freddy into a Disney movie? It had a couple of moments, but that's it. Movie: 2/5 DVD 3/5

22) Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994, DVD) - Wes Craven did the impossible & made Freddy scary again. Great idea to play the movie like it was "real life". Heather Langencamp returns as herself & Nancy (sort of). Freddy is more evil & darker. I'm surprised this didn't spawn at least one more sequal. Movie 4/5 DVD 3.5/5

23) The Funhouse (1981, DVD) - Good early 80's slasher from Tobe Hooper. Easy to spot tributes to horror films including Psycho and Halloween. Pacing may be "slow" for today's audiences, but fans of 80's horror will appreciate it. Movie 4/5 DVD 3.5/5

October 10
24) Maniac Cop 2 (1991, Showtime Extreme) - Worthy sequal to the original. Starts with the last 3 minutes of the first one. Robert Davis replaced Bruce Campbell for most of the movie. Good story & pacing. Movie: 3.5/5

25) The Gate (1987, DVD)

26) From Beyond (1986, DVD)

October 11
27) The Plague of the Zombies (DVD) - An under rated Hammer Horror gem. If you like Hammer & haven't seen this one, it's worth seeking out.

28) Trick 'r Treat (Blu-Ray) - One of the best most original horror movies to come along in a long time (along with Drag Me to Hell). I agree with others here in that this will become mandatory yearly viewing (Actually I can't wait to watch it again, but not until November). Can't believe this one flew under the radar for so long. Maybe now it will get the recognition it deserves. Movie 5/5 Blu-Ray 5/5

29) Creepshow (1982, Blu-Ray) - This favorite horror anthology seemed like the perfect flick to follow Trick 'r Treat. Five stories written by Steven King & directed by George A. Romero in a tribute to the old EC comics. Funny that the worse of the bunch is the second story which stars King himself as a farmer that investigates a meteor (this is always bad. See Blob above) and ends up turning into a plant. This story could have been left out of the mix & nobody would notice. The rest of the stories are pretty good with the best being "The Crate" starring Adrienne Barbeau. This movie is probably the main influence for the Tales from the Crypt series. I was really surprised how good this movie looks on Blu-Ray, especially considering its age. Colors are vibrant & details really stand out. Too bad they opted not to include any extras beyond what was on the standard DVD. This is a must for any Horror fans library. Movie 4/5 Blu-Ray 4/5

October 12
30) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981, Blu-ray) - This is my favorite of the Friday the 13th movies. Jason was much scarier as the fast moving stalker. Amy Steel is the ultimate final girl. The burlap hood is creepier than the hockey mask, maybe because it reminds me of another movie that scared the crap out of me called "The Town that Dreaded Sundown". There is a scene in the movie where Jason picks up a spear & discards a mask laying next to it. I wondered how different the series might have been had he decided to put on that mask. The Blu-Ray looks pretty good. The image is soft at times but details are good & colors are natural. Definately an upgrade over the standard DVD. Movie 4.5/5 Blu-Ray 4/5

31) House (1986, DVD) - William "The Greatest American Hero" Katt stars in this fun horror comedy from the mid 80's. Sure the FX are dated, but there is never a dull moment. Katt plays the humor perfectly, but it was tough to visualize him as a Vietnam vet. Must be the curly blond hair during the flashback scenes that ruin it. I think this one recently went OOP from Anchor bay so it may be worth picking up especially if your an 80's Horror buff..."Ding Dong You're Dead" Movie 3.5/5 DVD 4/5

October 13
Tonight I decided to go with a couple of obscure titles from Amicus & Hammer Horror

32) Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1964) - Amicus anthology with Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee. Directed by Freddy Francis who did several good Hammer movies. Five passengers aboard a train see their futures through the terot cards of Dr. Terror (Cushing). Not the strongest of the Amicus stuff. The final story with a very young Donald Sutherland is probably the best. This used to pop up now and then on late night Creature features. Really needs a descent DVD release. Movie 3.5/5

33) Vampire Circus (1971) - A later Hammer title about a circus of Vampires who visist a village to avenge the death of one of their own 15 years earlier. Again not the strongest Hammer title, but still entertaining and worthwhile. No Cushing or Lee. Also needs a good DVD release. Movie 3.5/5

October 14
34) Drag Me To Hell (2009, Blu-Ray) - Sam Raimi creates a modern classic. The best horror release of the year just edging out Trick 'r Treat. Made in the Evil Dead tradition, DMTH reflects current time in showing how banks can change the lives of those that have fallen on hard times. How society at times has no sympathy for those in need. J.K. Muir has a great in depth review and analysis of this movie on his web site. Worth reading after you see the film (too many spoilers to read prior). Movie 5/5 Blu-Ray 5/5

October 15
35) Creepshow 2 (1987, DVD) - Romero only served as producer for this one, not director. Based on stories from Steven King. Only 3 stories instead of 5, but all 3 are quality stories. My favorite is the middle story titled "The Raft". Still, all 3 stories have that EC comics feel to them. The animated story in between is a bit hit & miss. Recommended for those that like horror anthologies. (On a side note, this movie inspired me to order a couple of volumes of the Creepy magazine reprints currently offered from Darkhorse Comics. Anyone who grew up with the Warren magazines will want to check out these hardcover volumes) Movie 4/5 DVD 3.5/5

36) Hardware (1990, Blu-Ray) - Think terminator meets Mad Max and you have the idea. This is one of those movies that has a cult following and probably grows on you with repeated viewings. The robot design reminded me of a mechanical version of Cronenberg's Brundle Fly. This is the first time I have seen this movie since it was in the theater as it has never been available on DVD to my knowledge. I'll watch it again to see if I warm up to it more. Movie 3.5/5 Blu-Ray 4/5

October 16
Nothing Today

October 17
37) The Evil Dead (1983, DVD) - Sam Raimi's first effort. I remember how "shocking" this was when it first came out. Still a classic & required viewing for any horror buff. Movie 4/5 DVD 4/5

38) Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives! (1986, DVD) - Probably my second favorite of the series. Tom McGlouthlin injects just the right amount of dark humor & horror. Reminds me of the Universal monster movies when Jason gets resurrected with lightning (ala Frankenstein). (Side Note: As I was watching these it occurred to me how Jason, Freddy, amd Michael Meyers are our generations Universal Monsters. Just like Frankenstein, The Mummy, and the Wolfman before them were remade by Hammer and others, they are being remade today). The new DVD transfer looks great. Like others, I am hopeful all of these will be released on Blu-Ray. Movie 4/5 DVD 4/5

October 18
41) Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1972, DVD) - When this Richard Matheson penned story originaly aired, it was considered the best television movie ever made. Ratings far exceeded the network's expectations. However, as good as the script was, the success is due to the performance of the late great Darren Mcgavin. Originally titled The Kolchak Tapes. Followed by a second movie (The Night Strangler) and a short lived series. I recently saw this (MGM) DVD went OOP for anyone looking to pick it up. DVD 3.5/5 Movie 4.5/5

42) Zombieland (2009, Theater) -

43) Alien (Director's Cut) (1979, DVD) -

44) The Pumpkin Karver (2006, Shotime/DVR) - A lame slasher that was just interesting enough for me to finish. Interesting premise with lackluster exicution. Movie 1.5/5

October 19
45)Aliens (Director's Cut) (1986, DVD) - Probably not the wisest movie to watch during this challenge since it's running time is almost as long as 2 movies. But it's hard to resist one of the best horror movies of all time. The director's cut makes the total running time 2hrs 37min, but it definately adds a lot to the movie. More of Ripley's backstory, the colony before the attack of the Aliens, and most famously the sentry gun scenes are added back in. The DVD is starting to show its age and there are rumors of a Blu-Ray release. Movie 5/5 DVD 4/5

October 20
46) Tales from the Crypt Presents - Demon Knight (1995, DVD) - The first of the Tales movies is easily the best. The story is tight and "feels" like a Tales from the Crypt movie. Billy Zane is great and adds just the right amount of dark humor. Would be nice to get an upgraded DVD for this one. Movie 4/5 DVD 3/5

47) Tales from the Crypt Presents - Bordello of Blood (1996, DVD) - The second tales movie & follow up to Demon Knight. This one is not generally liked & flopped at the box office. I personally like this movie. It reminds me of an 80's horror flick in the tradition of Fright Night or Vamp (though not as good). Even features a couple of 80's horror film "stars" in Chris Sarandon (Fright Night, Child's Play), Erika Eleniak (The Blob 1988), and the ever popular Cory Feldman (The Lost Boys, Friday the 13th). The main problem with this movie is the decision to cast Dennis Miller in the lead. It's not really his fault, but his brand of humor was not suited for this type of movie. I'm sure someone at HBO thought this was a good idea. I like Miller, but his wisecracks grew thin after a while. Beyond that, I love the Bordello vampire story & Angie Everhart is fantastic. I'll just file this one under "Guilty Pleasure". Bare bones DVD with a picture quality slightly better than its predecesor. Movie 3/5 DVD 3.5/5

October 21
48) Psycho II (1982, DVR) - A very good and logical sequal to the original. The story follws Norman Bates after his release from the psyciatric hospital, 22 years after the events of the first film. Vera Miles reprising her role from the original is none too happy. The story has a few twists & a surpirse ending. What struck me most though is how Anthony Perkins got back into the Bates character. He was dead on so many years later. My DVD of this was an old cropped version so I need to upgrade. In the meantime I viewed a widescreen version from one of the premium channels. Movie 4/5

49) Psycho III (1986, DVR) - Much different than the previous film in tone and quality. This film is a darker more conventional slasher film. Perkins directed and didn't seem to be quite in character as he was for Psycho II. pacing is slower, but still not a bad film. Movie 3/5

October 22
50)Vamp (1986, DVD) - If you're not an 80's horror movie buff then this one may have escaped you. Typical 80's horrror vampire comedy similar to Fright Night & Lost Boys, but not as good. Three buddies head to the big city to find a stripper-for-hire in order to gain entry into a fraternity. What they find is a strip club of the undead. Grace Jones is interesting as the head vamp. The movie starts a little weak, but really picks up after they find the club. This is one of many DVD's going out of print from Anchor Bay. I really hope someone (Blue Underground?) picks up the slack on these genre titles. Stuff like this would probably never see the light of day from a major studio. Movie 3.5/5 DVD 4/5

October 23
51) The Uninvited (2008, Blu-Ray) - Descent ghost story with a twist. Remake of a Korean horror film. I liked it better the second time around. Movie 3.5/5 Blu-Ray 4.5/5

October 24
53) Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud (2007, DVD) - The Sci-Fi channel produced two sequals a couple years back and this is the better of the two. The CGI/creature effects are much better than part 3 (which is odd since the movies were shot back-to-back. This is a twist on the Hatfield & McCoys story. Nothing great here. Just an above average creature feature. Lance henrickson makes a few appearences. Movie 3.5/5 DVD 3.5/5

56) MOH: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (2007, DVD) - Don "Phantasm" Coscarelli's entry into the MOH seris is one of the better ones. A "mini" slasher with a good twist. Movie 4/5 DVD 4/5

October 25
57) Phantasm II (1988, DVD) - The DVD gods listened and gave us Phantasm II earlier this year. Continues where the first one left off. Much more main stream action that doesn't let up. The picture quality is pretty good & miles ahead of those old bootleg copies running around. The DVD is bare bones, but at least we have it. Movie 4/5 DVD 3.5/5

58) The Masque of the Red Death (1964, DVD) - A classic in honor of the anniversary of the death of the late great Vincent Price. Movie 3.4/5 DVD 3.5/5

October 26
59)The Pit and the Pendulum (1961, DVD) - Another Corman/Price classic. MGM's Midnight Movie presentation is less than stellar. Picture is not bad, but is widescreen letter boxed (ie non anamorphic). Still, with MGM seemingly losing interest in this line, this may be the best we get. lets hope not. The movie is a true classic & deserves better. Movie 4/5 DVD 3/5

60) Prophecy II (1999, DVD) - An average sequal about the war between "good & bad" angels. Christopher walkin is the highlight of the film. He chews up scenes as we have come to expect. Rest of the film is O.K. Another letterboxed picture with sub-par sound quality. Movie 3/5 DVD 2.5/5

61) MOH: John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns (DVD) - Season 1 of Masters of Horror is generally pretty good with only a couple of mis-fires (Deer Woman anybody?). This may be one of the creepiest and best of the series though. It is vintage Carpenter all the way. My only complaint is it felt a bit rushed and probably is the only episode of the entire series that would have made a better full length movie. Much better than his season 2 effort (though I plan to re-visit that one soon). Quality stuff for Carpenter fans. DVD is loaded with extras. Nice treatment from Anchor Bay. Movie 4/5 DVD 4.5/5

63) Night of the Creeps (1986, Blu-Ray) - Night of the Friggin Creeps! Long time coming to DVD. One of the classics from the 80's. This is the movie that Slither borrowed so heavily from. The Blu-ray looks good. probably as good as the movie ever looked. Not reference quality stuff, but at least the studio didn't try to over compensate for noise, etc. "The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is they're dead" Movie 4.5/5 Blu-ray 4/5

October 28
64)Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992, AMC fearfest) - Written by Joss Whedon prior to the series. I read somewhere he didn't like the outcome of the movie. I always thought Kristy Swanson nailed the valley girl thing much better than Sarah Michelle Geller ever did. Lots of memorable lines. Movie 4/5

65)MOH: Dreams in the Witch House (DVD) - Stuart Gordon was 2 for 2 in the MOH series. This is his entry for the first season. An adaptation of an HP Lovecraft story. Movie 3.5/5 DVD 4/5

66) Orphan (2009, PPV HD) - This one was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Crazy twist that you won't see coming. The actress that played Esther (the titular girl) did a great job. I will definately pick this one up for my collection at some point. Movie 4/5

67) MOH: Homecoming (DVD) - No secret what the message is in this MOH episode from Joe Dante. Good effort though I was never too crazy about the ending. Seemed rushed. Movie 4/5 DVD 4/5

October 29
68)Brides of Dracula (DVD) - One of my favorite Hammer Films.

69) Dracula (1931, DVD) - Everytime I watch this I marvel at just how good it is. The exchange between Dracula and Van Helsing is classic!

October 30
70)Horror of Dracula (DVD) - More good stuff from Hammer. Actually pre-dates "Brides".

76) Freddy's Nightmares: "Dream Come" True (original air date: 10/2/1989, DVR/Chiller)- A doctor helps a boy who has nightmares with Freddy; A camera man trys to catch Freddy on film....By the late 80's Freddy had become a pop culture icon. At one point he was as well known to kids as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Freddy's Nightmares was a horror anthology series that ran for two seasons (44 episodes) between Oct. 1988 - March 1990. Freddy was only in a few episodes (like this one) serving as the host for the majority. Each episode was two stories that were connected in some way. These are not on DVD yet, but Chiller network airs a few from time to time. Rights are owned by Warner Bros. so it may be a while before these see a proper DVD release.

77) Kolchak The Night Stalker: "The Vampire" (original air date: 10/4/74, DVD) -based on the success of the Nightstalker movies, ABC commissioned a weekly series. It originally aired in 1974 and featured the return of Darren McGavin in the title role. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled after 20 episodes, partly due to McGavin's request (there were 2 shows remaining to be filmed) and partly due to declining ratings. It is well known that this show was Chris Carter's influence for the X-Files. This episode tied into the original movie in that a female victim from the Las Vegas vampire attacks comes back from the dead & ends up in L.A. Kolchak investigates and the story plays out like a mini-version of the first movie.

78) Tales From The Crypt: "And All Through the House" (Original Air Date: 6/10/89, DVD) - Anthology horror series that ran on HBO from 1989 - 1996. Most of the stories, especially the early ones, were based on stories from the old EC comics. The series also featured many stars and guest directors. This story is one of the first to air and remains one of the best tales. In fact the same story appeared in the Tales from the Crypt movies from Amicus. This one was directed by Robert Zemekis and given a slightly dark humor aspect. The first five years of the series was pretty good, but the quality dropped off in the final two years. Spawned two "official" movies, Demon Knight & Bordello of Blood. The Frighteners was supposed to be a Tales from the Crypt movie, but was changed to a stand alone feature. The entire series is available on DVD and well worthwhile.

79)Friday the 13th The Series: "Scarecrow" (Original air date: 2/6/88, DVD) - Nothing to do with the movie franchise, this series ran for 3 seasons from Sept 1988 to May 1990. The original title was "The 13th Hour" but was changed to draw in audiences. There was a rumor of a later tie in to Jason's hockey mask that was denied by the producer. The 3 main characters (Micki, Ryan, Jack) hunted cursed objects sold by Micky & Ryan's Uncle Lewis. Most of these episodes are very good, especially the first two seasons. This episode is one I always found creepy. A cursed scarecrow that guarantees good crops after it kills three sacrificial victims. Micki & Ryan follow a lead to a small town to collect the Scarecrow. This episode had a "Sleepy Hollow" feel to it. All 3 seasons are released on DVD. The transfers are "VHS quality", but no worse than seen on TV. Must have for 80's horror fans.

80) Tales From the Darkside: (2 Episodes) "Trick or Treat" (Original air date 10/29/83, DVD) and "Inside the Closet" (Original air date 11/18/84, DVD) - Horror anthology series produced by George A. Romero and running from 1983 - 1988. Originally conceived as a "Creepshow" series. These are two pretty good episodes from season 1. The first, Trick or Treat, was directed by Romero. Very appropriate story about a miser who likes to scare local kids during Halloween. The second story I watched is actually better and was directed by Tom Savini. Very creepy story about something living in the closet of a college girls rented room. Each story has a "twist" ending like most of these Anthology series. Nice to have these on DVD (season 2 was just released on 10/27/09). Picture quality is as about as good as it was when it originally aired. Looks like it was copied from a VHS. Still, can't complain. At least CBS is giving fans this great series on DVD.

Fear Clinic - Just watched the first couple of episodes over on FearNet.com. Good premise about a doctor (Robert Englund) who forces his patients to face their fears/phobias in unconventional ways. These were actually better than expected. Could have made a nice television series. My only complaint is the running time is way to short at about 7 minutes each. Also has Danielle Harris & Kane Hodder. Worth checking out.

My list is complete......
Final Tally: 75 Movies + 5 Wild Cards = 80
Best First Time Viewing: Trick 'R Treat
Worst First Time Viewing: Pumpkin Karver
Best New Horror Film: Drag Me to Hell
Thanks to the DVD Gods for finally releasing: Night of the Creeps, Phantasm II

October 1
1) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Infinifilm DVD *****
The hype that came with the trailer for the remake got me in a Freddy kind of mood, so I decided to kick this year off with a Nightmare marathon. If pushed to pick a favorite horror movie, NoES would probably be it. I've been a Freddy fan since I was a kid. The original, and to a lesser extent the sequels, are like comfort food to me. I still have most of the lines memorized, but find more to love about it with each viewing. The Infinifilm DVD gets high marks in my book, but the Blu Ray is still highly anticipated.

2) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) - DVD ***
You know, Freddy's Revenge really gets a bad rep. There really is a good movie in here, it's just bogged down by some bad ideas. Obviously the homoerotic undertones do not really do the movie any favors, but there are a lot of good, creepy moments here. Freddy is still dark and menacing, not the wise cracking cartoon he will eventually turn into. The opening scene in the schoolbus is a stand-out, as is the pool party massacre. Many other creepy moments throughout. If you discount this one as being not worthwhile, give it another shot, it may grow on you.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) - DVD ****
Probably the best of the sequels, though this was the point that Freddy started his turn towards comedy. There are still many scary moments, but with all of the wisecracking, some of the terror of Freddy starts to become diluted. The death scenes became more inventive...who can forget the puppet scene?

4) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) - DVD ***
A further step away from the dark and scary origins, Freddy is now in full fledged comedy mode. Dream Master is still a fun ride with great moments, but not much in the way of scares.

October 2
5) A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) - DVD ***
About on par with part 4, this one adds the twist of nightmares happening while awake. Some very cool gothic scenery and generally likable characters help save this one from the joke that it could have become.

6) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) - DVD **1/2
Well, they had to hit bottom eventually. Some fun moments, but Freddy is a complete joke now. A Nintendo power glove? Come on now. Glimpses of Freddy's backstory and how he came to be a monster are the saving graces here. That said...even bad Freddy is still pretty darn fun!

7) Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - DVD ****
Now that's more like it. New Nightmare brings back the darkness and terror of the early days of the franchise. Without this movie, Scream and the whole horror reinvigoration of the 90's probably wouldn't have came to be. When it first came out, the concept was pretty mind-blowing since the whole self-aware horror movie kick hadn't yet started. My biggest complaint is that even though Freddy's look and the new glove were meant to be more scary, I thought it was the opposite. The make-up looked great when very dimly lit, but when brought into the light it lost some effectiveness and looked a bit silly. Still a great step in the right direction.

8) Sleepaway Camp (1983) - DVD ***
Ahh, good old Sleepaway Camp. One of my favorite horror franchises, this movie just oozes '80s. The twist is a classic.

9) Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) - DVD ***1/2
I know many wouldn't agree with me, but I loved the direction that parts 2 and 3 took. Pamela Springsteen's Angela is a riot...funny and very inventive with the kills. Always a fun watch.

10) Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989) - DVD ***1/2
More of the same from part 2...and to me that's a good thing.

October 3
11) I Walked with a Zombie (1943) - The Val Lewton Horror Collection DVD ***1/2
I really like this movie for some reason. I love how it's shot...the use of light and shadows gives a level of creepiness to even the mundane scenes. The journey through the fields to find the voodoo assembly is still creepy, and the encounter with guard at the crossroads is downright spine-chilling. Great classic.

12) My Bloody Valentine (2009) - Blu-Ray (2D) ***1/2 (new to me)
Even though I've never seen the original, I already had pretty low expectations for this remake. Fortunately, it turned out to be quite enjoyable. It had pretty much everything I look for in a "light" slasher movie. The 3D gimmick shots really stood out (no pun intended), but I'm sure it was lots of fun in the theater. We still have to go back and check some of it out in 3D, but I'm sure that doesn't work nearly as good at home. Very fun movie overall...decent acting and great kills. Can't complain there.

October 4
13) The Evil Dead (1981) - Book of the Dead DVD ****
Again going against the popular opinion, I prefer the original to the sequels here. There are some really creepy moments here, starting with the porch swing banging against the cabin in the beginning...something very un-nerving about that. Of course the tree scene is an absolute stand-out, iconic scene. The effects towards the end are a bit of an unfortunate blend of low budget and over-the-top, which takes it into cheesy territory instead of dark and terrifying. Still the atmosphere and of course good old Bruce help make this an all time classic.

14) Cabin Fever (2002) - DVD ****
I thought I'd stick to the cabin in the woods theme today with one of my favorites. I find Cabin Fever to have just the right mix of funny and scary for when I'm in the mood for lighter horror. I know he isn't well loved here, but I can't wait to see what Eli Roth does next.

October 5
15) The Orphanage (2007) - Blu-Ray ***** (new to me)
Wow. I'm not sure what other word to sum up my feelings on The Orphanage. Beautiful, terrifying, sad. I read a review where the author said this movie was crafted in a style that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. High praise indeed, and completely accurate. My head is still spinning thinking of this movie, and it will take a while to sort out all my thoughts and to get it out of my mind. This one stays with you...haunts you if you will. Very nice video quality on the Blu, and the audio is absolutely awesome...even with my current lack of lossless capabilities. The surround effects will have you afraid to look around the room, and there are some subtle but extreme (if that makes sense) LFE moments that will really show off a good subwoofer. If you haven't seen this, go get it immediately. Just be prepared for a very emotional journey, especially if you are a parent. Outstanding movie.

October 6
16) Trick 'r Treat (2008) - Blu-Ray ***** (new to me)
Wow...and I mean that in pretty much an entirely different way than the wow for Orphanage above (though both are good wows)! What a fun, clever little movie! I can't believe this didn't get the theatrical release that it definately deserved and instead sat on a shelf for so long! Did it live up to the hype? Maybe not entirely, but very close and I had no dissapointments. I loved how the stories all fit together and the way they did the timeline was great. Sam rocks...although I almost wish we wouldn't have seen under the sack. I can see this easily becoming required viewing this time of year, and it might end up battling it out with the original Halloween for my Oct 31st viewing pleasure next year! High praise indeed!

October 7
17) Happy Birthday to Me (1981) - DVD **1/2 (new to me)
Pretty decent '80s slasher, but nothing spectacular. Had some good deaths, and kept us guessing for quite a while. The ending was a decent twist too. It's nice to see this one get a decent DVD release, and $5 at WalMart was well worth it.

October 8
None today. Had to keep the DVR from filling up. Hopefully there will be another Halloween episode of Bones this year which would make a nice wildcard...

October 9
Another big fat zero. At least I started the month strong!

October 10
18) The Frighteners (1996) - Director's Cut HD-DVD ****
One of my wife's all time favorite movies, this is a fun ride. The CGI holds up remarkably well today. It's a nice comedy and horror mix, and the sound mix has a pretty good subwoofer workout too. Good stuff!

October 11
19) Dead Alive (1992) - DVD ***1/2
"...is that the one with the donkey and the chambermaid?" Not my favorite zombie movie, but a goopy good time. I am surprised to see this listed in imdb as being made in 1992...I really would have guessed mid-'80s. The first half hour drags a bit, but once things get rolling the humor and gore come fast and furious. Classic lawnmower scene...gotta love it. I kick ass for the Lord!

October 12
20) Dead & Breakfast (2004) - DVD ****
A nice back-to-back with Dead Alive...more hilarious, gory, zombie fun. I just love this little movie....it never ceases to make us laugh. My wife loves the music so much we bought the soundtrack. Great fun!

October 13
21) Drag Me to Hell (2009) - Blu-Ray ****1/2 (new to me)
Between this and Trick 'R Treat, we've been doing pretty darn good on the new horror blind-buys! It's great to see Raimi back in the genre, and he hasn't missed a step! Great story, great effects, great acting (damn Alison Lohman is a cutie!), and a great Blu-ray transfer add up to a lot of fun. I maybe had my hopes up just a little bit too high with all of the hype, but I can't complain and it was not a disappointment. Not quite perfect, but darn close.

October 14
22) Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) - Blu-Ray **** (new to me)
Lots of good vampire vs werewolf action. Most people don't seem to like this one as much as the others, but I rate them all about the same. Very stylish and beautifully shot. Awesome A/V quality on the Blu...so no complaints there. Only downside is it makes me want to upgrade the other two that I only have on DVD!

October 15
23) Wildcard #1 - "Bones" A Night at the Bones Museum (2009) - HD on DVR *** (new to me)
Another great halloween episode of one of our favorite shows. Maybe not as impressive as last year's...afterall how do you top that Wonder Woman costume. Finding out Bones is a big fan of the old Universal Monster movies and quoting The Mummy was a lot of fun.

October 16
none

October 17
none

October 18
24) Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) - DVD ****
Such a fun little movie. Clever, funny, even a few good jumps. I thought this was really well written, and well acted for the most part (Leslie in particular was very charasmatic and great in the role). Great concept and well made. I'd like to see more from the guys behind this one. If you haven't seen this one, check it out.

October 19
25) Underworld (2003) - Superbit DVD ****
It was fun to revisit this closely after seeing the prequel. I really enjoy these movies...the atmosphere is breathtaking and the action is really well done in my opinion. The Superbit offers quite good audio and video quality, but I can't help but want to see it on Blu. One thing I really enjoy about this series is you never know who's side to be on. I'm sure we'll be watching the second one soon to complete the trilogy this month.

October 20
26) Underworld: Evolution (2006) - DVD ***1/2
I'm almost positive we watched this when it first came out, but I'll be darned if I could remember any of it. So it just might be a new to me, but I'm not sure. At either rate, this was of course more vampire vs lycan fun. I wasn't quite as into this one as the original and the prequel, but it was still a fun ride. I think my problem with it was it just felt more "modern" with the helicopters and what-not. I know the original was also set in modern times, but it felt more gothic and ancient or timeless. This one just felt too...normal I guess. Not sure exactly what I'm trying to say, but like I said I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Marcus was pretty bad-ass with the wings and being so much more bat-like than the others.

October 21
27) Hatchet (2006) - DVD ****
I always forget how great of a movie this is. Hilarious, well shot, and of course a great setting in the swamps. My only real complaint is the character design of Victor Crowley could have been a lot scarier. It maybe would have worked better if kept more in the shadows. The acting was mostly great, especially the main characters. Marcus is hilarious, and the guy that played Ben is great too. Also, how awesome is it getting to see Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, and Tony Todd all in the same movie? In my opinion, these low budget independant films are about the best slasher movies being made lately, between this, Behind the Mask, Midnight Movie, Malevolence, etc. All great movies.

October 22
none - had to catch up on the DVR

October 23
none - unexpected trip to look at a new Jeep...hehe

October 24
none - crazy long day buying above Jeep, going to a Star Wars event, and the Boo at the Zoo

October 25
28) Suspiria (1977) - Limited Edition DVD *****
Still one of the best. It's not a movie, it's a nightmare captured on screen. Yea the dialog and acting is mostly horrible, but that's not what this one is about. Some of the most beautiful and haunting visuals ever can be found here. And there is no beating the music...brilliant.

October 26
29) Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - DVD ****
It's always fun seeing our two favorite baddies battle it out. There is lots of fan service in this one. I had never watched this one so soon after watching all the Nightmare movies, and was surprised by how many little nods to those films are actually scattered throughout. There are a lot of lines of dialog and little incidental scenes that are reminiscent or even straight out of the earlier ones. Yes, there is some really bad dialog and acting, but it's so bad in places it almost has to be intentional as another wink to the earlier films in both series. Good brainless fun. Biggest complaint...the stoner dude that so wishes he were Jason Mewes (Jay of Kevin Smith fame)...but doesn't even come close.

October 27
none - annual Halloween party with the guys from work

October 28
30) Inferno (1980) - DVD ***1/2
I must be getting more of an appreciation for Inferno as it was much better then I remembered it being. I'm not sure if I was just getting overtired or not, but it does seem to drag on towards the end. Everything from about the rat attack up to the final scenes just seemed to drag on this viewing. The rest was more enjoyable than I was expecting though. The underwater scene is still truly awesome. I still don't know what's going or where they are half the time, but the visuals and death scenes are again beautiful and haunting.

October 29
none

October 30
31) Session 9 (2001) - DVD ****
Very atmospheric and creepy. I love the layers of story present here...on the surface just seeming like a haunted house story, but going much deeper than that. Well acted, beautifully shot. If you haven't seen this one yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.

October 31
32) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) - DVD *****
It's not Halloween if you don't catch this classic. This was my first year watching with my daughter, and she loved it. We had to watch it twice.

33) Halloween (2007) - Blu-Ray ****
I feel a little blasphemous watching Rob Zombie's version this year rather than the original. We had just watched the original not too long ago though, and hadn't seen this one since the theaters. I stand by my initial opinion that this is a very good remake. As good as the original? Absolutely not, but good none the less. Very brutal. My biggest complaint is some of the over the top language and how everyone was trying so hard to be "hardcore redneck". It fit in his other work, but some of it was just out of place here. I'm talking about stuff like Laurie finger banging the bagel in front of her mom and stuff like that. Just out of place. But that aside, I enjoy this one greatly and can't wait to see H2 (which we couldn't get to in the theater), even with the bad reviews.

Well, I beat my normal goal of 31, but not by much. With the strong start I had, I though maybe I could do better, but ended up with too many missed days. October is always a busy month, and this one was no exception. Had lots of fun as usual though. Thanks to Chad and the others who helped run the show again...great job as always guys! Can't wait until the horror club starts up now. Should be fun!

October 4th5)The Craft(1996)* 5/10-Good cast and slightly entertaining, but I felt the story overall was a little too silly.6)Nosferatu(1929)* 5/10-This one definitely has the creepiest looking vampire I've seen in a movie, but I didn't find it scary at all. I'm sure in it's time it was groundbreaking, but it just doesn't hold up well to me. Also, I thought the score on the version that I watched was terrible, found it very distracting.7)Dracula(1931)* 7/10-A little campy at times, but also creepy. Lugosi and Dwight Frye were both great in this. A fun watch.8)Firestarter(1984)* 6/10-Somewhat cheesy but enjoyable 80s horror/scifi/government experiment gone wrong flick.

October 6th9)High Tension(2003)* 5/10-Alot of tense and suspenseful moments. Really enjoyed it up until the ending, but the end kind of ruins it for me, thats why I can only give it a 5.

October 7th10)Aliens(1986)* 9/10-Great sequel. Equally as good as the first one. This one does it bigger with more action and more aliens.11)Quarantine(2008)* 6.5/10-Not a huge fan of the shaky Blair Witch style, but overall it was pretty good. Will see how it compares to Rec later on.

October 8th12)White Zombie(1932)* 8/10-Great spooky atmosphere to this one. The chanting and the creepy eyes from Lugosi were great. Good story too. A real classic here.

October 10th13)The Orphanage(2007)* 7/10-Good ghost story. Very haunting and made me jump a couple of times.

October 11th14)Frankenstein(1931)* 8/10-The original monster movie. Great classic.15)Dead and Breakfast(2004)* 6/10-Pretty funny zombie comedy here. It's no Shaun of the Dead, but still enjoyable. 16)The Pit and the Pendulum(1961)* 7/10-Classic Vincent Price in this one. Kind of a long and slow setup, but the end is amazing.17)The Last House on the Left(2009)* 7/10-Have not seen the original, may check that out later. Thought this was pretty good. Bad guys got what they deserved.

October 13th19)Alien 3(1992)* 7/10-Falls short of the first 2, but still a pretty good film. Thought the cgi alien looked terrible though.

October 14th20)Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn(1987) 10/10*-Love this one. The hand was hilarious.

October 15th21)Candyman(1992) 7.5/10-Always liked this one. Tony Todd was great in these.22)Army of Darkness(1993)* 7/10-Pretty good, but a little disappointing compared to the first 2.

October 16th23)Underworld: Rise of the Lycans(2009)* 7/10-Loved the first 2, but wasn't sure about a prequel with no Beckinsale. However, it turned out pretty good. Bill Nighy was awesome.

October 17th24)Saw(2004) 8/10-Really good story. Very original. Really keeps you guessing.25)Saw II(2005) 6/10-Didn't like this at all the first time I saw it, but it has grown on me a little. You do learn more about Jigsaw here.26)Saw III(2006) 7/10-Good story to this one, really comes together well. It's also a lot more gory than the first 2.

October 18th27)Saw IV(2007) 8/10-Great plot in this one. Right up there with the original in my opinion.28)Saw V(2008) 5/10-This is my least favorite of the series. Doesn't really add much to the story. The ending was decent though.29)Masters of Horror: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road(2005)* 4/10-The lead actress was good, but the husband was too cheesy and over the top to believe. Just an average slasher that tries too hard with the twist ending.30)Masters of Horror: Jenifer(2006)* 6/10-Definitely different. A disfigured woman who has a power over men and likes to eat people.31)Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns(2006)* 7/10-Really good story. About a horror movie that makes people crazy if they watch it. The acting wasn't great, but still enjoyed it.

October 21st32)Dawn of the Dead(1978)* 9/10-Lots of fun. Love the idea of living in the mall. The cheesy effects and makeup are great.

October 23rd33)Shadow of the Vampire(2000)* 7/10-Very interesting and original idea here. A little slow at times, but overall a good story.

October 24th34)The Uninvited(2009)* 7/10-I remember seeing the previews for this and thinking it looked terrible. I was pleasantly surprised, it's actually pretty good. Didn't see the twist coming at all, and I think it works well.

October 25th35)[REC](2007)* 7/10-I give this a little higher rating than Quarantine only because it came first. They are both equally good films in my opinion. The one difference I noticed was the demonic possession angle in this one. I don't really think that works though, because that's not something that I could see as being contagious.36)Zombieland(2009)* 10/10-Loved it. Very funny.

October 26th37)Splinter(2008)* 6/10-Thought this was okay. Had some interesting ideas. Worth a watch.

October 27th38)Poltergeist(1982)* 8/10-Good family friendly horror. Pretty spooky for a PG flick.

October 28th39)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) 9/10-Love how this movie scares you without showing all the gore. Sometimes it's better when it's left to your imagination.40)Dead Alive(1992)* 8.5/10-This was awesome. The crazy gory end seemed to drag on too long, otherwise I might have given this a 10.

October 29th41)Suspiria(1977)* 3/10-I found this to be a very boring film and the story just wasn't put together very well. The sets and the atmosphere were good, but that's about it.

October 30th42)Halloween II(2009)* 6.5/10-This was playing again for halloween and i finally got to check it out. Not what i expected, didn't know it went in a different direction like it did. Was okay though. Better than the first remake, but not as good as the original first 2 films.43)Trick 'r Treat(2008)* 6.5/10-Entertaining, but definitely didn't live up to the hype for me. 44)Dawn of the Dead(2004) 7.5/10-Not quite as great as the original, but very good.45)Dead Silence(2007)* 6/10-Decent, but not great. Loved the ending though, and the ventiloquist dolls were pretty creepy.

October 31st46)Halloween 6:The Curse of Michael Myers(1995)* 5/10-Not sure about the whole cult angle. Didn't really work for me.47)Night of the Living Dead(1968) 8.5/10-Great classic. 48)The Haunting of Molly Hartley(2008)* 4/10-Kind of interesting, but the ending was a letdown for me.49)The Monster Squad(1987) 7/10-Loved this as a kid, but haven't seen it since, so I wanted to revisit it. Pretty fun little movie.50)The Frighteners(1996)* 8/10-Since I liked Dead Alive so much, I had to get in another by Peter Jackson. A lot of fun to watch. Very different ghost story and I love the comedy mixed in.